Rajasthan’s dairy sector is set for a major expansion after the Centre approved a ₹1,500 crore financial package aimed at strengthening milk procurement, processing infrastructure and national expansion of the Saras dairy brand. The investment is expected to significantly boost the operations of the Rajasthan Cooperative Dairy Federation (RCDF) while improving income opportunities for lakhs of dairy farmers across the state. (The Times of India)
The funding package includes ₹1,000 crore support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and ₹500 crore under the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD). The new investment is designed to help Saras expand beyond Rajasthan and compete more aggressively with major dairy brands in North and Central India.
Under the expansion plan, Rajasthan aims to increase daily milk procurement from the current 45 lakh litres to nearly 65 lakh litres per day. The state also plans to expand milk processing capacity by an additional 20 lakh litres per day while strengthening its network of over 20,000 village dairy cooperative societies.
The Rajasthan government has already been working on an aggressive retail expansion strategy for the Saras brand, including proposals for Saras Smart outlets, cafes and signature retail plazas at major tourist and religious destinations across the state. Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma recently stated that the dairy sector should become a stronger pillar of Rajasthan’s rural economy and farmer development strategy.
Rajasthan currently ranks second in India in both total milk production and per capita milk availability, making dairy one of the state’s most important rural industries. Industry experts believe the latest investment could accelerate modernization of cold-chain systems, milk collection infrastructure, processing efficiency and branded dairy expansion while creating stronger national visibility for the Saras brand.
Source: Dairynews7x7 14 May, 2026 Read full article here
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