India will produce one-third of world’s milk by 2035, says dairy development board chief

National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Chairman Meenesh C. Shah has said that India will produce one-third of the world’s milk requirement by 2035.

Opening the valedictory ceremony of the Southern Dairy and Food Conclave (SDFC 2026) in Kozhikode on Saturday (January 10, 2026), he said India was the largest milk producer at present, producing 247.87 million metric tonnes per year. “The dairy sector contributes to 4.5% of the country’s GDP. At least 85% of the dairy farmers are small-scale farmers, and 35-40% of them are women. The development of the dairy sector is vital to ensuring the improvement of the rural economy and women empowerment,” he added.

The NDDB aims to ensure a strong market and better remuneration for dairy farmers. There are several villages in India struggling to find a good market for their dairy products. The NDDB plans to set up milk cooperative societies in 75,000 villages within a year as a solution to the situation, Mr. Shah added.

“Enabling farmers to attain better productivity and lower expenses and ensuring insurance protection for cattle at lower premiums are key to improving milk productivity. The NDDB is trying to attract the new generation into the dairy sector,” he added.