Cheese is the By-Product Now :The Whey Revolution
India, the world’s largest milk producer (700 million LPD), has built a powerful dairy ecosystem through institutions like Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) and National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) . Over 130 million LPD of milk is processed by cooperatives , private sector and new age Farmer producer’s organisation like Amul, KMF, Mother…
India’s Dairy Dilemma: Rising Demand, Falling Margins—and a New Playbook Emerges
What McKinsey is signalling in its latest dairy playbook is not a cyclical wobble—it is a structural reset. The global dairy industry, as per its 2026 survey, is caught in a paradox: demand is growing, yet margins are under sustained pressure, forcing leaders to rethink both cost structures and growth engines simultaneously. If you read…
Ashwagandha in Dairy: Regulatory Clarity or Emerging Constraint?
Ashwagandha has gradually made its way into the evolving Indian dairy landscape, though largely in a niche and emerging manner. Traditionally, the combination of milk and ashwagandha has been well accepted in Ayurveda, and this cultural compatibility is now reflecting in early-stage product innovation. While its presence in mainstream dairy beverages remains limited, there is…
India’s Dairy Export Moment: Opportunity or Illusion in FY26?
Strong numbers, weak fundamentals—can India truly become a global dairy exporter? India is not constrained by production—but by product strategy, price competitiveness, and export architecture. The Trigger: Why FY26 Matters In India’s dairy sector, better farmgate prices have often followed export gains in butter, ghee, and casein—highlighting that domestic markets are yet to consistently deliver…
Delhi HC curbs FSSAI overreach on animal feed
In a landmark judgment with far-reaching implications for the dairy and livestock ecosystem, the Delhi High Court has set aside key directives issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India that sought to regulate animal feed. The Court held that under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI’s jurisdiction is limited strictly…
FSSAI 2026: Packaging Now Defines Dairy Compliance
The recent draft notification issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) on 26th February 2026 and uploaded on March 11th 2026, may appear routine at first glance. But let us be clear—this is not just a technical amendment. This is a structural shift in how dairy products will be regulated in…
Rajahmundry: A Tragedy Waiting to Repeat — An Early Warning
The earlier editorial “Bitter Milk” by The Hindu rightly called for stronger accountability in food safety governance. But the situation in Rajahmundry has now escalated far beyond a routine safety lapse. Read our blog here :Rajahmundry Milk Incident: Accident or Adulteration? With reported deaths rising sharply, this is no longer an isolated incident. It is…
When Fertiliser Disrupts the Milk Curve: Between Assurances and Emerging Reality
India’s next milk price shock has already begun. And it is not in dairy—it is in fertiliser. A recent report by Mongabay India, authored by Kundan Pandey, flags a structural vulnerability that India has long carried but is now being stress-tested under geopolitical pressure. The ongoing tensions in West Asia, particularly around critical energy routes…
Quiet Centralisation: Risk is real for Private Dairy Sector
A Quiet Centralisation: What the New Cooperative Push Means for India’s Private Dairy Sector As reported by agencies citing a written reply by the Union Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, in the Rajya Sabha, the government has outlined a plan to bring nearly 45,000 milk collection and pooling centres under the cooperative framework—signalling a structural…
FSSAI Tightens Rules on Digital Dairy E-Commerce
The recent notification issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India on compliance obligations for e-commerce food business operators under the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) model is a timely and much-needed intervention for the dairy sector. Effective from 1st April 2026, this order goes beyond a routine clarification—it attempts to correct…