How Indian Dairytech Startups Are Spearheading White Revolution 2.0 In India

SUMMARY

Indian dairytech startups are combating age-old issues of poor quality feed, substandard animal healthcare, and poor disease management

The Indian dairy startup landscape has evolved on the back of new-age platforms taking over legacy brands like Amul, Mother Dairy and others through retail channels

Ranging from using IoT (Internet of Things) devices to leveraging AI and ML, Indian startups have left no stone unturned to revolutionise the country’s dairy sector in recent times

More than five decades ago, India desired to become a self-dependent nation in milk production. Consequently, the country launched Operation Flood, a dairy development programme, on January 13, 1970. Today, India is the number one milk-producing nation in the world. The country also produces 24% of the world’s milk and has witnessed a 51% increase in milk production between 2014 and 2022.

However, despite this significant achievement, the country has been a laggard in terms of sourcing, storage, supply, and distribution of dairy products. Fortunately, fixing these critical gaps are the homegrown dairytech startups. Adept at using state-of-the-art tech solutions, these ventures are spearheading the country’s White Revolution 2.0.

Ranging from using IoT (Internet of Things) devices to leveraging AI and ML, these startups have left no stone unturned to revolutionise the Indian dairy sector in recent times. As a result, farmers are today in a better position to monitor the health of cattle, leading to improved yields, higher-quality dairy products, and enhanced milk quality.

Besides, Indian dairytech startups are combating age-old issues plaguing the sector. Some of the top problems include poor quality feed, substandard animal healthcare, and poor disease management.

According to Ragavan Venkatesan, the founder & CEO of DGV, new-age milk sourcing, production, and delivery players have successfully established a product market fit for themselves amidst competition from established legacy players, all while ensuring proper bovine nutrition and free-range grazing.

All in all, the Indian dairy sector opportunity appears promising. Giving heft to this are projections that the Indian dairy industry would become an INR 49.95 Lakh Cr opportunity by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 13% from 2023.

Startups Transforming The Indian Dairy Landscape

The Indian dairy startup landscape has evolved on the back of new-age hyperlocal delivery platforms like MilkBasket, DailyNinja, and Supr Daily (now InsanelyGood), to name a few, taking over legacy brands like Amul, Mother Dairy and others through retail channels. Later, companies like Country Delight, Milk Mantra and others emerged to address quality and timely delivery concerns.

However, despite an explosion of startups in this space, several challenges remain unresolved. For one, sourcing milk from various dairy farms is a massive pain point. This directly impacts the quality of milk.

To address this, Indian startups have started setting up their own farms and adopted a direct-to-consumer (D2C) model. Some names include Barosi, Happy Milk, Doozy Happy Nature, The Milk India Company, and The Good Cow Company.

Meanwhile, many Indian founders have emerged to serve a section of individuals who are lactose intolerant or follow a vegan lifestyle. Alt Co, Zero Cow Factory, Oatey and Phyx44 Labs are some startups that serve this section of consumers.

Concurrently, the Indian dairytech ecosystem witnessed the arrival of players to tackle logistics, distribution, and financing for dairy farmers.