Ahmedabad: Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), on Tuesday delivered a lecture on “From Self-Sufficiency to Global Leadership: India’s Dairy Path under Viksit Bharat 2047” at an event organised by the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA).
During his address, Dr Shah reflected on the origins and evolution of NDDB and India’s Milk Revolution, underlining the role of the cooperative-led Anand Pattern in transforming the dairy sector. He noted that the model places farmers at the centre of the dairy value chain and has been instrumental in ensuring equitable value distribution and rural development.
India’s Dairy Sector: Scale and Significance
Highlighting India’s global standing, Dr Shah said the country is the world’s largest producer of milk, with dairy emerging as the single largest agricultural commodity. He emphasised that the sector plays a critical role in rural livelihoods, farmer incomes and national nutritional security.
According to Dr Shah, the distinctive Indian dairy model enables nearly 75–80 per cent of consumer value to flow back to producers, helping strengthen farm-level incomes and sustain the rural social fabric.
White Revolution 2.0 and Cooperative Expansion
Dr Shah outlined NDDB’s priorities under White Revolution 2.0, which focus on enhancing productivity, accelerating technology adoption, empowering women farmers and expanding the cooperative network across regions. He said these efforts are aimed at building a more inclusive and resilient dairy ecosystem aligned with the goals of Viksit Bharat 2047.
Waste-to-Wealth and Climate-Resilient Initiatives
The NDDB Chairman also highlighted waste-to-wealth initiatives led by the organisation, particularly dung-based biogas and compressed biogas projects. These initiatives support on-farm energy requirements while producing organic manure and slurry-based fertilisers, thereby creating additional income streams for farmers and contributing to a circular economy and climate-resilient growth.
New Multi-State Cooperative Societies
Dr Shah briefed the audience on four newly formed Multi-State Cooperative Societies established under the aegis of the Ministry of Cooperation. These include the National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL), Bharatiya Beej Sahakari Samiti Limited (BBSSL), National Cooperative Export Limited (NCEL) and Sahkar Taxi. He noted that these institutions are expected to strengthen cooperative participation in organics, seeds, exports and mobility services.
Addressing Sectoral Challenges
He also outlined key challenges facing India’s dairy sector, such as low animal productivity, a large unorganised segment, limited value addition, environmental pressures and low participation in global dairy trade. Dr Shah said NDDB is addressing these challenges through scientific breeding practices, improved animal nutrition, technology-driven solutions, institutional strengthening and sustainable production systems. Concluding his address, Dr Shah reaffirmed NDDB’s commitment to building a globally competitive, inclusive and sustainable dairy sector as India moves towards the goals set under Viksit Bharat 2047. Earlier, Meenesh Shah had highlighted roadmap for White Revolution 2.0 .
