India Registers Karan Fries — A New High-Yield Dairy Breed

India has officially registered Karan Fries, a new synthetic cow breed developed by scientists at the National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, designed to combine high milk productivity with resilience to Indian climates — a development that could significantly boost the country’s dairy sector.

Karan Fries is a crossbred cattle breed created by systematically breeding Holstein Friesian — a global high-yield dairy breed — with India’s hardy Tharparkar cattle. This blend aims to deliver both high milk output and robust adaptability to hot, humid subtropical environments typical of many Indian dairy belts.

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Under Indian management conditions, Karan Fries cows yield an average of about 3,550 kg of milk per lactation (approx. 10–11 months), which is roughly twice the milk production of most indigenous breeds. Top-performing individuals have been recorded producing up to 5,851 kg per lactation, with peak daily milk yields as high as 46.5 kg — a remarkable performance compared with indigenous cows that typically average 3–4 kg per day and exotic breeds around 8–9 kg daily.

Experts say the registration of Karan Fries represents a milestone in dairy genetics research in India, offering dairy farmers the potential to significantly increase productivity while maintaining resilience to local conditions. Developed through decades of crossbreeding work and now stabilised genetically for consistent performance, this breed has been introduced as part of a broader push to enhance dairy herd performance nationwide.

The breed’s federal registration alongside other high-yield cattle such as Vrindavani — and more than a dozen newly recognised indigenous livestock breeds — highlights India’s continued commitment to livestock genetic improvement and diversification, which supports both farmer livelihoods and national milk output growth.

Source : Dairynews7x7 Jan 17th 2026 Business Standard