India's Dairy Sector
Scale, Structure, and Operation Flood
India is the world's largest milk producer, accounting for approximately 22–24% of global milk output. This position was achieved through Operation Flood (1970–1996), the world's largest dairy development programme, launched by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) under the cooperative model pioneered by Amul in Anand, Gujarat. Operation Flood transformed India from a milk-deficit nation into a surplus producer, creating the "White Revolution."
The structural characteristic of Indian dairying is its fragmentation: approximately 70% of milk production comes from farmers with only one to two milch animals. Most dairy farmers are marginal or small agricultural households for whom milk sales represent a daily income stream — distinct from seasonal crop income and critical for rural financial resilience. An estimated 80 million farm households are involved in dairying.
- NDDB (National Dairy Development Board): established 1965 at Anand; administered Operation Flood
- Operation Flood launched: January 13, 1970; concluded 1996
- India surpassed the USA as the world's largest milk producer in 1998
- Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited): the cooperative template; operates under GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation)
- Approximately 70% of milk production from farmers with 1–2 milch animals
- Dairy cooperatives network: over 1,73,000 village dairy cooperative societies (as of last NDDB count)
- Dairy and animal husbandry contribute approximately 4–5% of India's GDP
● Tracked since February 10, 2026 · last seen April 27, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes