White Revolution 2.0: India’s New Era of Dairy Empowerment

As India joins the global community ‘in celebrating World Milk Day 2025 under the theme "Let's Celebrate the Power of Dairy," it is time to reflect not just on the glass of milk on our tables, but on the revolution behind it.

- DR. ALKA PARMAR

India's dairy story began with the pioneering work of Dr. Verghese Kurien, whose leadership during the first White Revolution (1970-1996) made India self-sufficient in milk through cooperative models, cross-breeding, and robust supply chains (Kurien, 2005). Today, White Revolution 2.0 represents a deeper, technology-driven, climate-resilient evolution of the dairy sector. India is the largest milk producer globally, contributing more than 24% of the world's total production. In 2023-24, India produced 239.3 million tonnes of milk, marking a 3.78% year-on-year growth, with a per capita availability of 471 grams/day (Economic Times, 2024; NDDB, 2024). Comparatively, the second-largest producer, the United States, produced approximately 103 million tonnes, highlighting India's massive lead (FAO, 2024).Milk supports livelihoods for over 80 million rural households and nearly 70% of work in dairy production are women, playing crucial roles in milking, feed management, and home-based value addition (NDDB, 2023). Yet, the industry faces challenges of regional productivity gaps, poor cold-chain penetration, and fluctuating quality-issues being addressed through the tenets of White Revolution 2.0.

White Revolution 2.0 focuses on:

> Al-powered milk yield tracking and sensor-based cow health monitoring

> Genomic selection and semen sexing for breed improvement