Bridging gaps through social enterprise

Dipesh Nag
Managing Director
Grameen Danone Foods Limited

The Daily Star (TDS): How do Grameen Danone's nutrition products improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations, and what evidence supports these claims?

Dipesh Nag (DN): Our mission is to combat malnutrition, particularly among children in low-income communities. Our flagship product, Shokti Doi, is a fortified yogurt enriched with essential micronutrients like Iron, Zinc, Vitamin A, and Iodine. For instance, in our 'School Feeding Program' at Ullapara, we observed an increase in student attendance from 76% to 94%, even accounting for absenteeism due to sickness. After introducing regular yogurt distribution, teachers and parents reported noticeable improvements in children's energy levels, concentration and overall health. These outcomes align with global evidence that fortified dairy products can significantly enhance cognitive and physical development in malnourished children.

TDS: What pricing, packaging, and distribution innovations have made your products both affordable and accessible for low-income families?

DN: Affordability and accessibility are at the heart of our model. We offer Shokti Doi in small, single-serve cups priced to align with the purchasing power of rural households. To balance social impact with commercial sustainability, we employ a tiered packaging strategy: smaller, low-cost units for rural areas and larger, premium variants for urban markets. This cross-subsidy approach allows us to reinvest profits from urban sales into expanding rural outreach. Our plastic spoon recycling initiative collects used yogurt cups and converts them into food-grade spoons, prioritising sustainability.

TDS: How has community engagement shaped your product design and delivery strategies to ensure cultural appropriateness and long-term adoption?

DN: Community feedback is integral to our process. We conduct regular interactions with mothers to refine flavors, packaging, and messaging. For example, we learned that children prefer mildly sweetened yogurt, leading us to adjust our recipe while maintaining the right nutritional value. To drive adoption, we organise puppet shows, hygiene workshops, and school events that educate families about nutrition. These efforts have fostered trust and ensured our products align with local tastes and lifestyles, enabling long-term behavioral change.

TDS: In what ways has collaboration with iDE enhanced your ability to scale operations and improve nutrition outreach in rural areas?

DN: Partnering with iDE has been transformative. Their market-led approach complements our mission, helping us penetrate remote areas where distribution was previously challenging. Through iDE's network, we have trained and empowered local nutrition entrepreneurs who distribute Shokti Doi while educating communities about its benefits. This collaboration has not only expanded our reach but also strengthened last-mile delivery.

TDS: What lessons have you learned about balancing commercial viability with social impact in the nutrition sector?

DN: The key lesson is that purpose and profit can and must coexist. As a social enterprise, we embed impact into every business decision—from sourcing local ingredients to designing inclusive pricing. Community-based sourcing and local value chain is not a compromise rather it is a competitive advantage. By working directly with dairy farmers, we reduce costs while ensuring quality and creating shared value. This approach allows us to deliver affordable nutrition without compromising on sustainability.

We measure success not just in financial terms, but in the lives we improve. This dual focus has enabled us to scale our impact while maintaining a viable business model—demonstrating that doing good and doing well can, and must, go hand in hand.

This content has been published under 'Catalyzing Markets' - a media campaign jointly initiated by iDE and The Daily Star. This interview is conducted by Md. Zahidur Rabbi

iDE, a global nonprofit organisation in 12 countries since 1984, drives poverty reduction through market-driven solutions in Bangladesh, scaling agriculture, WASH, climate resilience, clean energy, and women's empowerment.