Dairy Sector

Amit Shah lays foundation of 10,000 litres per day dairy plant in Kargil

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 .

Best of BS Opinion: India's FTA with New Zealand shows agile deal-making

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 eyes ₹24,000 crore topline in FY27 amid expansion push

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

FruBon parent Dev Milk Foods gets funding from Fireside Ventures, investors

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 producers receiving ₹34.18 crore monthly benefit, highest ever

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

India's milk production up from 17 MT in 1950 to 247 MT in 2025: Official

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 .

Is that milk? One in three samples fails quality tests nationwide

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

'Low-quality deal': NZ foreign minister slams India-New Zealand FTA

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

India will never open up dairy sector: Commerce Minister on New Zealand FTA

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

Milk without cows? Inside the science of lab-grown milk shaking dairy world

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

India to protect dairy, MSMEs in FTA with New Zealand: Piyush Goyal

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

India's dairy sector grew by 70% in last 11 years, says Amit Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said India has made significant strides in the dairy sector over the past 11 years, noting that it has grown by 70 per cent during this period and is now the fastest-growing sector in the world. He said under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India's dairy sector has expanded by 70 per cent in terms of capacity. In the world, India's dairy sector is the fastest-growing, Shah said after inaugurating the newly constructed Sabar Dairy Plant facility in Industrial Model Township here, as part of efforts to promote the cooperative sector. Built at a cost of Rs 325 crore, the plant will house state-of-the-art machinery and is expected to generate direct and indirect employment. The newly inaugurated Sabar Dairy plant here is the country's largest production facility for curd, buttermilk, and yogurt, with a daily capacity of 150 metric tonnes of curd, 3 lakh litres of buttermilk, 10 lakh litres of yogurt, and 10 metric tonnes of ...

Heritage Foods to cut dairy product prices following GST reduction

Dairy company Heritage Foods said on Thursday it would reduce prices across its product range following the government's decision to cut goods and services tax (GST) rates on dairy products. The company said it would pass on the full benefit of the GST Council's rate rationalisation to consumers ahead of the festive season, effective September 22. Heritage Foods reduced the maximum retail price (MRP) of long shelf-life UHT milk by Rs 3 per litre, while fresh milk prices remained unchanged as the category is exempt from GST, the company said in a statement. The company cut ghee prices by Rs 50 per litre and butter by Rs 50 per kilogram. Cheese prices were reduced by Rs 50 per kg, while paneer was lowered by Rs 25 per kg. In the ice cream segment, the company reduced prices by Rs 35 for 950ml packs and Rs 20 for 700ml packs. The price cuts come as India prepares for the festive season, when dairy consumption typically increases. Heritage Foods said the "consumer-first move" would h

US signals softer stand in BTA: Access to high-end cheese, not milk market

US signals softer dairy stance, eyeing premium cheese exports to India as trade talks restart; India wary of opening sensitive farm sector

GST rate cuts to boost demand in India's ₹19 trillion dairy sector: Govt

The government on Thursday said the decision to ensure that most dairy products are now either exempt from tax or attract only a 5 per cent rate will boost demand in the Rs 19 lakh crore industry. In an official statement, the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry & Dairying said the 56th GST Council, in its meeting held on Wednesday, approved sweeping tax rationalisations on milk and milk products. "These reforms mark one of the most comprehensive overhauls of GST rates in the sector, ensuring that most dairy products are now either exempt from tax or attract only a 5 per cent rate," it added. Under the revised structure, effective from September 22, 2025, the GST rate on ultra-high temperature (UHT) milk is reduced to nil from 5 per cent. The GST on paneer / chhena (Pre-packaged and labelled) has been reduced from 5 per cent to nil. Butter, ghee, dairy spreads, cheese, condensed milk, milk-based beverages will attract 5 per cent GST from 12 per cent. The GST on ice cream wil

India seeks to shield small dairy farmers in free trade talks with US

The United States, whose dairy exports reached $8.22 billion last year, is pushing for greater access to India's dairy market, which remains shielded by high import duties and non-tariff barriers

Govt to establish 3 multi-state cooperatives for dairy sector growth

The government on Tuesday decided to set up three new multi-state cooperative societies for the dairy sector to focus on animal feed, dung management and circular use of dead cattle residues. Cooperation Minister Amit Shah, who chaired a meeting on sustainability and circularity in the cooperative dairy sector, said the goal should be to create a sustainable dairy ecosystem that promotes a circular economy. "As we move towards White Revolution 2.0, our goal should not only be to expand dairy cooperatives and make them efficient and effective but also to create an ecosystem of dairy which is sustainable," Shah said. According to an official statement, the first society will work on animal feed production, disease control and artificial insemination, the second will develop models of dung management, and the third will promote circular use of dead cattle residues. Shah emphasised that carbon credit benefits should directly reach farmers through scientific models. He highlighted the n

Revenue of Amul's parent firm GCMMF rises 11% to Rs 65,911 crore in FY25

Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF), which sells dairy products under the 'Amul' brand, recorded an 11 per cent rise in its revenue to Rs 65,911 crore for the last fiscal, mainly driven by an increase in volumes across all categories, its MD Jayen Mehta said. GCMMF's turnover increased 8 per cent in 2023-24 to Rs 59,259 crore. "Our revenue during the 2024-25 financial year grew by 11 per cent to Rs 65,911 crore. We have clocked double digits across all product categories," Mehta told PTI. There has been decent growth in the last two quarters of the 2024-25 financial year, he added. "The rise in turnover was largely driven by volume growth. We did not increase prices much," Mehta said. Only in June last year, he said, the milk prices were raised because of a rise in input costs. In January this year, GCMMF reduced the prices of one-litre packs by Rs 1 per litre across India to encourage consumers to buy larger packs. The GCMMF Managing Director expects to ..

MilkLane seal Rs 400 crore supply deal with dairy major Milky Mist

Partnership will help 10,000 farmers by ensuring fair pricing and access to high-nutrition cattle feed solutions, say companies

FSSAI asks states to increase food safety checks on dairy analogues

Food regulator FSSAI has asked states to step up surveillance on dairy analogues in March keeping in view the ongoing festive season. As per the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 'Dairy Analogues' are products where non-milk constituents replace milk components partially or entirely but resemble milk or milk products in appearance, texture, and functionality. Dairy Analogues are not considered milk, milk products, or composite milk products. When standardized milk products are compositionally altered by replacing major milk constituents like milk fat or milk protein with vegetable oil, fat, or protein, the resulting product is classified as an Analogue. "The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all States and Union Territories (UTs) to step up surveillance on Dairy Analogues throughout the month of March, keeping in view the ongoing festive season," a statement said on Tuesday. This measure aims to prev