India went from a milk-deficient country in the 1960s to the world's largest producer, thanks to the cooperative model pioneered by Amul and the NDDB's Operation Flood. That legacy kept growing: milk production rose from about 146 million tonnes in 2014-15 to roughly 248 million tonnes in 2024-25, around a two-thirds increase, and India now accounts for close to a quarter of the world's milk.
Dairy & Milk
Dairy & Milk
India is the world's largest milk producer, and dairy is the single biggest agricultural commodity by value. Milk production rose from about 146 million tonnes in 2014-15 to roughly 248 million tonnes in 2024-25 — a two-thirds increase — built on a vast network of village cooperatives in the tradition of Amul and Operation Flood. Per-capita availability climbed from about 300 to over 470 grams a day. The counter shows total milk production.
146 → 248 MT
Milk production
1st
Largest producer globally
~471 g/day
Per-capita availability
Milk production
| Year | Milk production |
|---|---|
| 2014 | 146 MT |
| 2015 | 156 MT |
| 2016 | 166 MT |
| 2017 | 176 MT |
| 2018 | 188 MT |
| 2019 | 199 MT |
| 2020 | 210 MT |
| 2021 | 221 MT |
| 2022 | 231 MT |
| 2023 | 239 MT |
| 2024 | 244 MT |
| 2025 | 248 MT |
2014
0MT
Milk production
20142025
Since 2014
Added
+102 MT
2014
146 MT
2025
248 MT
Why it matters Dairy is a lifeline for tens of millions of small and landless farmers — especially women — giving them daily cash income, and it is a key source of nutrition.
- Milk production: ~146 MT (2014) → ~248 MT (2025); world's largest
- ~24% of global milk; per-capita ~300 → ~470 g/day
- Source: Dept of Animal Husbandry & Dairying
History
Notable strengths
Dairy's power is its reach: it is built on tens of millions of small and landless farmers, each with a few animals, pooling milk through village cooperatives that pay them regularly. A large share of dairy farmers are women, making it one of India's most important tools for rural women's incomes. Per-capita milk availability rose from about 300 to over 470 grams a day, well above the world average.
How it works
India's dairy runs on a cooperative model pioneered by Amul and the White Revolution: millions of small farmers, often with just a cow or two, pool their milk through village societies that collect, chill, process and sell it — cutting out middlemen and paying farmers directly. This 'Anand pattern' turned India from a milk-short nation into the world's largest producer, and dairy is now a bigger earner for many rural households than crops.
Outlook
India produces about 248 million tonnes of milk a year — roughly a quarter of the world's total, the largest of any country. The next step is capturing more value: today only around a fifth of milk is organised and processed, so the push is toward more processing, better breeds and yield per animal (aided by the Rashtriya Gokul Mission), and stronger cold chains — while managing rising feed costs and heat stress on herds.
The road ahead
The next step is capturing more value — lifting the share of milk that's organised and processed (about a fifth today) and improving yield per animal, while managing feed costs and heat stress on herds.
By the numbers
~146 → ~248 MT milk (2014→2025). World's largest producer, ~24% of global output. Per-capita ~300 → ~470 g/day. ~20% processed by organised sector. Sources: DAHD, NDDB.
Source: Dept of Animal Husbandry & Dairying — total milk production (million tonnes), 2014–2025.