India remains world’s largest milk producer, accounts for quarter of global output
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New Delhi: India continues to be the world’s largest milk producer, contributing nearly one-fourth of global supply and about 5 per cent to the national economy, while directly employing more than 8 crore farmers, according to official data released on Monday.
The dairy sector touches over 8 crore rural households, many of them small and marginal farmers. Women play a central role in production and collection, making dairy a key driver of inclusive growth in rural India.
India’s milk production has grown by 63.56 per cent over the past decade, rising from 146.30 million tonnes in 2014–15 to 239.30 million tonnes in 2023–24. This translates into an average annual growth rate of 5.7 per cent, with Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) data confirming India’s lead over the United States, Pakistan, China and Brazil.
Per capita milk availability in India has increased by 48 per cent in the last ten years, reaching 471 grams per person per day in 2023–24, compared to the global average of 322 grams.
The country’s livestock population, including 303.76 million bovines — cattle, buffalo, mithun and yak, forms the backbone of dairy production as well as agricultural draught power. Sheep and goats, numbering 74.26 million and 148.88 million respectively, contribute significantly, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.
Between 2014 and 2022, India recorded a 27.39 per cent rise in bovine productivity (kg/year), the highest in the world, outpacing countries such as China, Germany and Denmark. The global average increase during this period was 13.97 per cent.
India’s cooperative dairy sector remains one of the most extensive globally, comprising 22 state milk federations, 241 district unions, 28 marketing dairies and 25 Milk Producer Organizations. Together, they cover 2.35 lakh villages and have 1.72 crore dairy farmers as members.
A defining feature of the sector is the participation of women, who make up nearly 70 per cent of the dairy workforce and 35 per cent of cooperative members. More than 48,000 women-led dairy cooperative societies operate at the village level, reinforcing the sector’s role in rural empowerment and inclusive growth.