India is the world’s largest milk producer and plays a key role in the global dairy industry, but it still faces many challenges. Sidhant Gupta, a well-known expert in this field and former Director of Kwality Ltd., talks about the difficulties and opportunities in India’s changing dairy scene. “India produces nearly 22% of the world’s milk, with over 70 million dairy farmers helping to achieve this impressive output. Yet, the sector is mostly unorganized, and many farmers still use traditional methods,” says Mr. Gupta.
The large size of India’s dairy industry is both a strength and a challenge. On one side, high milk production ensures that India can meet its own needs and even aims to lead in global dairy exports. However, the industry is fragmented, with most dairy farming done by small farmers. This makes it hard to make big improvements, introduce new technologies, modernize facilities, and maintain consistent quality— all of which are important for growth and competing globally.