Sangeeta Talwar, the high profile executive director of Tata Tea, has put in her papers to join as the managing director and chief executive officer of NDDB Dairy Services, the newly floated wholly-owned subsidiary and delivery arm of NDDB. Talwar will end her six-year stint at Tata Tea on August 1 and formally take the reins of NDDB Dairy Services on September 1.

NDDB Dairy Services has been set up for implementation of National Dairy Plan (NDP). The idea is to double India’s milk capacity by way of what can be billed as India’s second White Revolution, with a capital outlay of Rs 17,300 crore.

Confirming the developments, Talwar, an industry veteran with three decades of managerial experience, told Financial Chronicle, “The challenges in the new assignment are far too many. India has a growing population, nutrition and milk demand. Besides, dairy industry is a significant contributor to our rural economy. Looking for better means of sustainable livelihood itself is a big challenge. But I’ve never shied away from challenges. Throughout my career I’ve tried to innovate and do things differently.”

“Unlike the tea business, here in dairy business the landscape is much larger and diverse. Therefore, I’ll have to take a 360-degree integrated approach. Dairy business needs aggressive marketing and we need to look for new and innovative ways of selling and connecting with consumers. But more importantly the growth in the industry should be connected back to the rural economy,” she said Talwar.