In a recent podcast, Smt. Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, shared valuable insights into India’s livestock sector and its profound socio-economic impact. With 10 crore households engaged in this sector, India is a global leader in milk production, primarily driven by women. The dairy industry currently generates ₹12 lakh crores and is projected to reach 300 million metric tonnes by 2030.
Ms. Upadhyaya emphasized India’s potential to become the “Dairy to the World,” being the largest milk-producing nation.
She also discussed the importance of the global ‘One Health’ concept, highlighting livestock health as critical for public health. The National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP) is key to this initiative, underscoring the urgent need for bio-secured laboratories to combat zoonotic diseases and the establishment of disease-free compartments for Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD), in line with the Prime Minister’s vision of a FMD Mukt Bharat.
all vaccines are proudly Made in India, contributing to the Atma Nirbhar Bharat mission, with every vaccination recorded in the National Digital Livestock Mission.
Ms. Upadhyaya acknowledged the contributions of IDMCLtd for manufacturing cutting-edge dairy machinery and furthering the vision of self- reliance India i.e. Atma Nirbhar Bharat. She noted that the NDDB subsidiary has also begun exporting to countries like the UK and Africa.
She concluded the podcast by advocating ‘Dudh Piyo’, highlighting it as an ideal protein source, particularly for India’s large vegetarian population, ensuring the growth and development of future generations. She reiterated that livestock holds significant potential to enhance human health.
The DAHD podcast was hosted by Dr. Mahesh PS, Joint Commissioner and Director- CEAH, Bengaluru.
