Dairy Sector

Twenty-two companies proposed investments worth ₹695.18 crore across Uttar Pradesh at the UP International Trade Show, with the projects expected to create over 2,500 jobs

ITC is strengthening its presence in the fresh dairy segment in Eastern India through its flagship Aashirvaad brand, betting on rising demand for branded milk and value-added dairy products across Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand. The diversified conglomerate, which entered the fresh dairy business in 2018 with the launch of Aashirvaad milk in Bihar and later expanded to West Bengal and Jharkhand, has emerged as the second-largest dairy player in Bihar with a lineup ranging from fresh milk to curd, paneer, lassi and Mishti Doi. As part of its expansion strategy, ITC has tailored its dairy portfolio to regional tastes, local consumption patterns and evolving consumer preference for quality-assured dairy products. When asked about expansion to other regions, Hemant Malik, Chief Executive Officer, Foods Division, and Executive Director, ITC, said Eastern India will remain a key focus market for the company's dairy expansion plans, which offers significant headroom for expansion. "East

Revenue rose 43.6 per cent to Rs 973.45 crore, supported by broad-based growth across the portfolio, with yogurt and ice cream emerging as strong performers

The Karnataka government has prohibited the production, storage, distribution and sale of 'analogue paneer' being sold as 'paneer' across the state for a year to safeguard public health, officials said on Saturday. "The Food Safety Division of the Department of Food Safety and Drug Administration, Karnataka, has issued a Government Notification dated August 17, prohibiting the manufacturing, processing, packing, storage, distribution, transportation, wholesale and retail sales, display for sale and supply of Analogue/Non-Dairy Paneer being sold under the name 'Paneer' in the state for a year," the department Commissioner Srinivas K, said in a statement. A product prepared in the form of paneer by wholly or partially replacing milk fat or milk solids with vegetable oil, vegetable fat or other non-dairy ingredients is considered Analogue /Non-Dairy Paneer, officials said. Such a product shall not be labelled, marketed, sold or represented to consumers as 'paneer', they said. Accordin

The Maharashtra government has imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture and sale of "analogue" or non-dairy paneer in view of public health concerns and widespread violations of food safety norms, officials said on Wednesday. Offenders could face life imprisonment and a fine of up to Rs 10 lakh, as per a recent government order. Maharashtra is the second state after Chhattisgarh to impose such a ban. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said it found that several hotels, restaurants, caterers and other food establishments were using analogue paneer in place of conventional paneer without disclosing the substitution on menus, invoices or display boards. Analogue paneer is a non-dairy substitute made using vegetable oils, starches, emulsifiers and other additives instead of milk fat. It is cheaper to produce than conventional paneer and generally contains lower protein levels. A gazette notification issued by Maharashtra Food Safety Commissioner Tukaram Mundhe has prohibited the

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon recognised the important role of the FTA in strengthening the bilateral economic partnership

Milky Mist Dairy Food is preparing to launch a Rs 2,035 crore IPO by July-end or early August, with proceeds earmarked for capacity expansion and debt repayment

This revision is only a partial pass through of increased costs and is aimed at maintaining a fair balance between farmer welfare and consumer interests, Mother Dairy's spokesperson said.

The dairy company raised ₹357 crore via primary infusion and ₹125 crore through secondary share sale, with Temasek arm Jongsong Investments anchoring the pre-IPO funding round

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday laid the foundation stone of a 10,000 litres per day dairy plant in Kargil and launched a series of dairy development initiatives for Ladakh through virtual mode, officials said. The initiatives, launched under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, include mobile milk testing laboratories, modern milk cooling systems and strengthening of dairy infrastructure aimed at boosting self-reliance in the Union Territory, they said. Officials said a modern dairy processing plant with a capacity of 10,000 litres per day is being set up at an estimated cost of Rs 25 crore by Indian Dairy Machinery Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB). The project is being implemented under the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) of the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, with a grant of Rs 12.74 crore, assistance of Rs 10 crore from NDDF and the remaining financing through LUTDCF .

From India's FTA strategy and Sun Pharma's global ambitions to LPG shortages, West Asia risks and Asean ties, here are the key insights from today's Opinion page

Mother Dairy is targeting over 20 per cent revenue growth in FY27 as it expands beyond its core markets, boosts capacity, and strengthens its national presence

Dev Milk Foods, the entity behind the consumer dairy and ice cream brand FruBon, has raised funding from Fireside Ventures, Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office and a group of angel investors, the company said on Monday, but did not disclose the size of the capital raise. The fundraise would be utilised to expand distribution and strengthen ice cream and value-added dairy portfolio. It will accelerate market expansion, scale manufacturing capabilities, and drive product innovation across north and west India. Announcing the funding from Fireside Ventures, Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office and a group of angel investors, Dev Milk Foods, in a release, said the investment marks a significant milestone in the growth journey as the company continues to strengthen its presence in the ice cream and value-added dairy segment across north India. "The company plans to utilise the newly raised capital to expand its retail footprint, enhance production and cold chain infrastructure, and accelerate ...

Milk-producing farmers in the state are now receiving an average benefit of Rs 34.18 crore per month -- the highest ever -- as the state milk federation procures approximately 2.70 lakh litres of milk per day from the farmers. This is a significant increase compared to the average procurement of 1.57 lakh litres per day during the financial year 2024-25, a government spokesperson said in a statement here on Saturday. The federation is ensuring doorstep milk collection, particularly benefiting marginal milk producers living in remote areas of the state. This initiative is helping improve their socio-economic conditions by providing them with direct financial support. He said that the government has consistently increased milk procurement prices over the last three years. In the 2026-27 budget, provision has been made to procure cow milk at Rs 61 per litre and buffalo milk at Rs 71 per litre. Reforms made in the dairy sector have encouraged more people to participate in village dair

Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) M L Jat has said India's milk production rose from 17 million tonnes in 1950 to 247 MT in 2025. Jat, a distinguished agronomist, highlighted dairy's dominance within the Rs 17.25 lakh crore livestock sector -- contributing 65 per cent of output and driving 16 per cent of India's gross value added (GVA), which supports 46.1 per cent of the population. "The Union Budget has allocated Rs 6,153 crore for animal husbandry (up 16 per cent) to recruit 20,000 veterinarians, subsidize colleges/labs and provide cooperative tax relief, powering Viksit Bharat in 2047," he said, while addressing the 22nd convocation of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute (ICAR-NDRI) at Karnal in Haryana on Friday. According to an NDRI release, Jat said India's milk production surged from 17 MT (1950) to 247 MT (2025), led by Uttar Pradesh, with Punjab-Haryana topping .

As India's dairy production reaches record highs, synthetic milk rackets are compromising the nation's foundational staple

New Zealand's Foreign Minister Winston Peters has called the India-New Zealand FTA a "low-quality deal", criticising its impact on dairy, labour mobility and migration

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India has protected dairy and key farm sectors in the India-New Zealand FTA, underlining that dairy will never be opened up in trade negotiations

Lab-grown milk, sometimes called "animal-free dairy," is real dairy produced without cows and contains actual milk proteins (casein and whey)

Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal said India will not compromise on sensitive sectors like dairy and MSMEs in its proposed trade pact with New Zealand, where talks have seen major progress