National Milk Day 2025: History, Significance And India’s Rising Milk Industry
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National Milk Day is celebrated on November 26 to commemorate the birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien who is known as the ‘Father of the White Revolution in India.’
National Milk Day 2025: Today, India contributes to 25 percent of the global milk production, financially aiding 8.5 crore rural households in India.
National Milk Day (NMD) marks the birth anniversary of Dr. Verghese Kurien, who has been referred to as the “Father of the White Revolution” in this country. Owing to Kurien, India has remained the largest producer of milk, globally, since it dethroned the US from that position in 1998. It has come a long way from being a milk-deficient nation, thanks to the remarkable efforts of Kurien.
Let us focus on the extraordinary history behind National Milk Day, the day’s significance and the growth of India’s milk industry.
National Milk Day 2025: History
It was on November 26, 2014, that National Milk Day was first celebrated in India. The decision to commemorate Dr. Verghese Kurien’s birthday was taken collectively by The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), and 22 state-level milk federations.
Spearheaded by Kurien, the NDDb had launched “Operation Flood” on January 13, 1970, to make India self-sufficient in milk production. The program did this by breeding Indian native cow breeds with European cows that were considered “high yielding.”
Kurien’s journey with India’s history of milk production, began with him setting up a milk cooperative at Anand town in Kaira (now Kheda) district of Gujarat, in 1946, to stop the exploitation of small dairy farmers there by agents and traders.
This was the basis for the iconic fictional film, Manthan (1979), directed by Shyam Benegal. Kurien also revolutionised the production of condensed milk from Buffalo milk, at Amul, leading to a successful ban on import of condensed milk.
National Milk Day 2025: Significance
The success of India’s journey as the top milk producer speaks of the nation’s journey to become self reliant, and find its feet again after suffering from centuries of invasions and colonisation. Verghese Kurien’s intelligence, passion and empathy towards poor milk farmers, made this a reality.
Growth of India’s Milk Industry
Kurien’s Anand model was eventually implemented nationwide, on the orders of Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shashtri.
The cooperatives were then developed under project “Operation Flood” in three phases; 1970-1980, 1981-1985 and finally, 1985-1996.
As a result, the number of milk sheds increased, urban outlets expanded and the volume of milk production increased exponentially.
Today, India contributes to 25 percent of the global milk production, financially aiding 8.5 crore rural households in India.
Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with nearly three decades of experience, known for his in-depth coverage of events and festivals, as well as his expertise in SEO-driven content at News18.com. A tech-savv…Read More
Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with nearly three decades of experience, known for his in-depth coverage of events and festivals, as well as his expertise in SEO-driven content at News18.com. A tech-savv… Read More
November 26, 2025, 06:43 IST
