India launched Operation Flood in 1970 to become self-sufficient in dairy industry and today it is one of the leading milk producers in the world. The country contributes 24% of the global milk output and witnessed 51% increase in production between 2014 and 2022.
However, challenges still exist in terms of sourcing, storage and distribution of dairy products across the country. A couple of startups have come up to address such challenges. It is armed with cutting-edge technology and innovation as well. It is spearheading what is now being called as India’s White Revolution 2.0.
These new companies are utilizing IoT (Internet of Things), AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) to revolutionize the Indian dairy sector. They are empowering the farmers with tools to monitor cattle health in order to improve productivity and higher-quality dairy yields. They are simultaneously addressing longstanding issues including poor feed quality, inadequate animal healthcare and inefficient disease management practices.
DGV Founder and CEO Ragavan Venkatesan highlights the success of such startups in redefining milk sourcing, production and delivery.
The future of the Indian dairy sector seems promising. It is projected that the industry could turn into a ₹49.95 lakh crore opportunity by 2032, which will be a 13% CAGR from 2023.
The dairy startup landscape in the country has undergone good transformation with hyperlocal delivery platforms like MilkBasket and DailyNinja. These platforms are disrupting established brands like Amul and Mother Dairy through their innovative retail channels. Companies like Country Delight and Milk Mantra are addressing quality as well as delivery concerns.
Startups are venturing into direct-to-consumer (D2C) models to ensure milk quality. They are establishing their own farms. Some of the good examples are Barosi, Happy Milk and The Good Cow Company as they are at the forefront of the movement.