“Cow Culture and Commerce: India’s Strategic Dairy Stand

 

The article  by Dr P Harsha Bhargavi explores how the cow is deeply embedded in India’s culture, economy and global dairy trade dynamics. It notes that India’s reluctance to open its dairy market to major exports—particularly from the U.S.—is driven not just by economics but by a cultural value placed on indigenous breeds and dairy traditions. (

It highlights that over 80 million households depend on dairy livelihoods in India, making dairy farming more than just an agricultural activity but a social and economic backbone of rural life.  The article further claims that more than 300 marketable by-products from cows (milk, dung, urine, ghee, curd etc) emphasise how the cow economy extends beyond milk alone.

Trade and policy issues also figure prominently: India argues that opening up to subsidised US dairy would harm smallholder farmers who cannot compete with large-scale subsidised agribusinesses, and raise concerns over production methods (e.g., growth-hormones, GM feed) that conflict with Indian norms of purity and food-culture.

Finally, the article stresses the importance of indigenous breeds (often producing A2 milk) and claims these breeds carry unique cultural/medicinal significance—asserting that their milk has richer micronutrient profiles and different casein proteins compared to imported breeds.

Key Implications

• Dairy policy in India cannot be treated purely as an economic issue; cultural, religious and identity-factors are integral to how dairy trade and regulation are shaped.
• The global trade dynamics of dairy for India are strongly influenced by the need to protect smallholder livelihoods — meaning trade liberalisation in this sector faces political resistance.
• Promoting indigenous breeds and multi-product cow-based value chains may open new rural livelihood streams (beyond milk and butter) — e.g., dung/urine bioproducts, “panchagavya” industry.
• For international partners and agribusinesses, understanding India’s dairy sector means recognising it’s not a “pure commodity market”—it has embedded cultural and identity dimensions that affect regulatory stance and trade negotiations.
• Source : Dairynews7x7 Oct 20th 2025 The Hans India