India Self Reliant in Dairy Industry
India's dairy self-reliance, also known as the White Revolution, transformed the nation from milk-deficient to the world's largest milk producer. Spearheaded by Dr. Verghese Kurien and Operation Flood (1970), the initiative created a vast cooperative network connecting millions of small-scale farmers directly to urban markets. This decentralized "Anand Pattern" model eliminated middlemen, empowered rural communities—especially women—and ensured fair prices for milk producers. While the cooperative structure has been successful, challenges remain, such as low animal productivity, inadequate infrastructure in some areas, and the dominance of the unorganized sector. To address this, the government is focusing on modernizing the industry through genetic improvement programs and investments in new infrastructure, aiming to maintain India's dairy self-sufficiency and rural economic growth.
