The ICAR has entered into an MoU with NDDB to enhance collaboration in multidisciplinary research, innovation, and capacity building across the entire dairy sector. The partnership spans key areas including dairy production, processing, and value addition, with a strong emphasis on empowering its primary stakeholders—millions of dairy farmers across the country. The Director General of ICAR highlighted the importance of complementary research by breaking down institutional silos. He emphasised the need for integrated farming systems. He expressed his satisfaction that the MoU would pave the way for a structured partnership to address complex challenges such as climate resilience, low productivity, and value chain development. He also advised adopting gaushalas to curb the menace of stray cattle and to develop sustainable models for manure management and biogas utilisation.
Severe cold and dense fog continue across Punjab, livestock experts from GADVASU have issued urgent guidelines for dairy owners to protect cattle from cold-induced stress and health risks. GADVASU specialists stressed that prolonged exposure to cold and damp conditions can affect milk yields and overall herd health. Dairy owners were advised to take simple but effective measures to mitigate cold stress, including insulating cattle sheds with dry bedding, windbreaks and curtains, ensuring animals have access to dry, clean resting areas, and supplementing with warm water and energy-rich feeds to help maintain body warmth. Experts also recommended timely deworming, vitamin-mineral supplements to support immunity, and regular health monitoring.
India’s dairy industry — especially in Bihar and neighbouring regions — saw a significant seasonal surge in demand for milk, curd and related dairy products, driven by the Makar Sankranti festival, traditional food customs and rituals. Local dairy supply chains adjusted inventories and logistics to meet expected demand peaks. In Bihar, curd consumption rose to around 11 lakh kg this year, up from about 8.5 lakh kg last year. Whole milk sales reached 35–36 lakh kg, compared with 33.5 lakh kg previously; tilkut and paneer sales also expanded ~20 % year-on-year. The surge highlighted how festive traditions continue to shape dairy consumption cycles in India, giving processors and cooperative unions clear signals for supply planning, stock buildup and distribution strategies to capture peak seasonal demand.
India moves steadily toward Vision 2047; the dairy sector stands at a strategic inflexion point. From being a food security instrument in the decades following Independence, dairy has evolved into the single largest agricultural economic activity, engaging over 8 crore rural households and contributing nearly 5% to India’s Gross Value Added (GVA). The real challenge lies in farmer viability, where rising costs of feed, fodder, labour, energy, animal healthcare, and compliance have sharply altered farm economics. Studies indicate that input costs have risen by 40–50% over the last decade, but whole milk procurement prices have not always kept pace on an inflation-adjusted basis. Vision 2047 must address this widening gap through productivity enhancement, genetics, fodder security, and efficient procurement systems. Dairy contributes significantly to rural resilience, but it is also increasingly exposed to climate volatility, water stress, and methane-related scrutiny. India’s per-animal productivity remains low—averaging 5–6 litres per day, compared to 25–30 litres in developed dairy economies. Improving productivity per animal is not only an economic imperative but also a sustainability necessity, reducing emissions intensity per litre of milk produced. Another defining element of Vision 2047 is value-led growth. Despite being the largest milk producer, India processes less than 30% of its milk into value-added products, with a heavy dependence on liquid milk and low-margin commodities. By contrast, countries like New Zealand and the EU derive a majority of dairy revenues from cheese, specialised ingredients, and nutrition products. Bridging this gap will require large-scale investments in processing infrastructure, R&D, and skill development—particularly in emerging categories such as protein-rich dairy, functional nutrition, and ethnic dairy with global appeal. Vision 2047 also calls for stronger private sector participation, startups, and public-private partnerships to bring speed, innovation, and global market alignment.
The future roadmap is not cooperative versus private, but cooperative plus private, working toward a common national objective. Vision 2047 ultimately positions dairy as more than a commodity sector—it is a social, economic, and nutritional institution. Achieving this vision will depend on policy coherence, technology adoption, farmer-first economics, and a shift from volume-centric thinking to value-centric dairy development.