Madras HC asks Aavin to push 'button paal' vending machines in hill towns

The Madras High Court has directed the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers' Federation Limited (TNCMPFL), which runs the Aavin brand, to promote the use of automatic milk vending machines (AVMs) in the hill stations of Kodaikanal and Udhagamandalam. The direction was issued by a bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and K. Rajasekar on a pilot basis.

The court was informed that the first AVM was inaugurated at the Aavin hi-tech parlour on Thiagarajar Salai in Kodaikanal on August 16, 2026, followed by a second machine at the Uzhavar Sandhai at Charing Cross in Udhagamandalam the next day. While each machine has a capacity of 200 litres, initial sales were modest — about 80 litres were sold in Kodaikanal in the first two days, while daily sales in Udhagamandalam ranged between three and six litres. Unsold milk is returned to the dairy for reprocessing as per prescribed norms.

TNCMPFL Managing Director Ajay Yadav, in a status report, said the initial public response was encouraging and expected to improve as awareness grew. He assured the court that steps were being taken to maintain the machines and ensure regular milk supply, with daily sales being recorded for performance assessment. He sought three more months to submit a comprehensive report.

Amici curiae informed the court that unlike the old coin-operated machines discontinued in 2014, the new AVMs feature touch screens and QR codes integrated with bank accounts, enabling payments through UPI.

Observing that the system encourages consumers to use their own containers, the judges directed the federation to popularise the AVMs among residents, noting that this would help discourage the use of environmentally harmful plastic sachets.