As we reflect on the remarkable journey of India's dairy industry, we are reminded of the transformative power of the original White Revolution, or Operation Flood, launched in the early 1970s under the visionary leadership of Dr. Verghese Kurien. This movement transformed India from a milk-deficient nation into the world's largest milk producer, significantly improving the livelihoods of millions of small dairy farmers. Today, we find ourselves on the brink of White Revolution 2.0-a renewed focus on harnessing the full potential of our dairy sector for sustainable growth, productivity, and economic empowerment.

While the original White Revolution built the foundation through cooperatives and expanding milk production, White Revolution 2.0 is driven by new-age imperatives such as advanced technology, climate change mitigation, and a rapidly growing demand for dairy products. Supported by initiatives from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), state governments, and the Dairy Processing & Infrastructure Development Fund (DIDF), this second phase focuses on addressing challenges like stagnant animal productivity, evolving consumer preferences, and sustainability.

Our goal is not just to maintain our global leadership in milk production but to ensure that our dairy industry grows sustainably while catering to the needs of an urbanizing and health-conscious population.

Key Focus Areas of White Revolution 2.0

Productivity Enhancement
White Revolution 2.0 aims to increase the productivity of dairy animals, a major challenge for the sector. Through advanced breeding techniques such as artificial insemination and genomic selection, along with improved animal nutrition, we hope to sustainably bridge the gap between demand and supply. Better access to high-quality feed and healthcare for animals will directly enhance both milk yield and quality.

Technological Integration
In today's fast-evolving world, integrating digital innovations into dairy farming is essential. Technologies like data analytics, mobile health monitoring apps, and AI-driven farm management solutions are set to modernize the operations of farmers. These tools will enable farmers to make informed decisions, improving productivity and profitability across the board.

Climate-Resilient Practices
Sustainability is a core pillar of White Revolution 2.0. Climate change presents a serious risk to agriculture and dairying. Addressing issues like methane emissions, reducing water consumption, and promoting climateresilient farming practices are crucial steps forward. Encouraging organic fodder production and improving waste management systems will not only help protect the environment but also open new income-generating avenues for farmers.

Farmer Empowerment and Inclusivity
A key emphasis of White Revolution 2.0 is farmer empowerment, especially among women, who are integral to India's rural economy. Strengthening cooperatives, expanding financial inclusion, and ensuring access to training and infrastructure will enable farmers to thrive in this changing landscape. Promoting value-added dairy products like cheese, yogurt, and fortified milk will further create new market opportunities both locally and globally.

As the President of the Indian Dairy Association (IDA), I see White Revolution 2.0 a transformative leap forward. While dairy already accounts for nearly one-third of India's agricultural GDP, we have yet to realize its full potential. By embracing technological innovation while adhering to the cooperative values that fuelled the first White Revolution, we can build a more sustainable, resilient, and profitable dairy industry for millions of Indian farmers.

Ensuring sustainability, fostering entrepreneurship, and supporting environmental stewardship are key. Through these efforts, we aim to position Indian dairy as a global leader in both productivity and sustainability.

Together, we can ensure that White Revolution 2.0 becomes the cornerstone of India's rural economic growth and food security, creating a prosperous and sustainable future for all.

Commodity Prices and their Effect on Dairy Farmers
The price realization of commodity stocks like SMP has a profound impact on the overall dairy sector. When SMP prices decline, it reflects negatively on market sentiment, influencing the prices of liquid milk, butter, and other dairy products. As a result, farm-gate prices for milk-the prices paid to farmers for their raw milk-are also affected. In fact, current farm-gate prices are lower than last year, primarily due to depressed SMP prices in the market. This price drop comes at a time when dairy farmers are already vulnerable to fluctuating costs and market uncertainties.

Fortunately, the current lower prices of animal feed have provided some relief to farmers in terms of milk production costs. However, this is a temporary reprieve, and without addressing the core issue of commodity price volatility, we risk a long-term negative impact on the industry.

The accumulation of SMP stock, if not addressed promptly, will continue to depress prices and hurt farmers. Disposing of these stocks in a timely and efficient manner can help stabilize the market and improve the price realization for both processors and farmers. Failure to do so may perpetuate the cycle of price volatility, leaving farmers-who are already dealing with rising production costs-at a significant disadvantage level.

This is where the role of strategic buffer stocking comes into play. Countries like USA and several European nations have established well-defined mechanisms for buffer stocking dairy commodities, including SMP, butter, and cheese. These mechanisms not only help stabilize prices but also protect farmers from sudden price fluctuations caused by oversupply or market imbalances.

Team IDA’s Representation at IDF World Dairy Summit 2024
It was a great privilege to represent India at the IDF World Dairy Summit 2024, held in Paris from October 15-18, where global leaders from the dairy sector came together to discuss the future and sustainability of dairy farming worldwide. This platform, which brings together policymakers, industry experts, and stakeholders from across the globe, provided a crucial opportunity to share India's innovations and contributions to the dairy sector, as well as learn from other nations.

I am immensely proud to announce that Indian dairy organizations excelled at the summit, winning three prestigious awards that underscore our country's unwavering commitment to sustainability, innovation, and the empowerment of smallholder farmers through cooperative models. Three Indian organizations stood out for their innovation are:

• Amul Dairy for Innovation in Sustainable Farming Practices - Animal Care.
• Sundarban Cooperative Milk & Livestock Producers' Union Limited for Innovation in Socio-Economic Farming Practices.
• Asha Mahila Milk Producer Company Limited for Innovation in Sustainable Processing.

One of the key highlights of the summit was my participation in the Dairy Leaders' Forum on Sustainability, held on October 18, 2024. During this forum, I had the opportunity to address a global audience and share insights on India's collective approach to sustainability in the dairy sector.

In my address, I spoke on the theme of "The Strength of Collective Approaches on Sustainability", with specific reference to the Indian dairy industry. I emphasized how India's dairy supply chain, which consists of 300 million cattle and buffalo, supports the livelihoods of over 80 million small dairy producers and is distributed through an intricate network of 10 million retailers. This decentralized yet interconnected system is capable of providing affordable nutrition to 1.42 billion Indians, a feat achieved in a remarkably environmentally sustainable manner. India's small stakeholder dairy system is also able to meet three sustainability goals: recycling, renewable energy, and reducing carbon emissions.

I emphasized that while efforts to maximize environmental sustainability are essential, we must also remember that "Sustainability starts when stomachs are full." Therefore, the global dairy industry needs to address the issue of "Emissions for Livelihood versus Emissions for Luxury."

The release of the IDF World Dairy Situation Report 2024 further underscored global trends in dairy production, trade, and pricing, resonating with many of the challenges we face domestically. The summit's focus on sustainability particularly in the face of climate change-will guide our policies as we drive White Revolution 2.0 forward.