India’s dairy industry is increasingly turning to biosolutions such as enzymes, cultures, probiotics and fermentation technologies as manufacturers seek to improve product quality, extend shelf life, increase processing efficiency and reduce food waste.
According to Anurag Chadha, Director – Food & Beverage Biosolutions, South Asia, Novonesis, biosolutions can play an important role in helping dairy manufacturers respond to changing consumer expectations while managing rising raw material costs and production challenges.
Dairy Industry Looks Beyond Traditional Ingredient Costs
For dairy manufacturers, the value of biosolutions increasingly extends beyond their direct ingredient cost. Technologies that improve yield, reduce spoilage, enhance texture and extend freshness can influence the overall economics of production.
This is particularly important as milk prices and other input costs remain significant factors for dairy processors. Improving the utilisation of every litre of milk can help manufacturers generate greater value from the same raw material base.
In cheesemaking, for example, enzymes and cultures can work together to improve cheese quality, flavour and consistency. Biosolutions can also support better utilisation of milk and reduce losses during processing, including losses associated with whey.
Whey, once treated primarily as a by-product, is increasingly being recovered as a valuable source of protein. Biosolutions can help create cleaner whey streams with fewer fines, supporting downstream protein recovery and potentially improving filtration efficiency.
Longer Shelf Life Can Help Reduce Dairy Waste
Shelf life is another major area of opportunity. Bioprotective cultures use fermentation-based approaches to slow the growth of yeast and mould in products such as yoghurt and fresh white cheese.
According to Chadha, applications of these cultures have helped prevent more than one million tonnes of yoghurt waste over the past eight years. Longer freshness can be particularly valuable in markets where dairy products travel long distances or where cold-chain infrastructure is inconsistent.
For Indian dairy manufacturers, extending shelf life can provide an additional buffer between production, distribution and consumption while helping reduce product returns and waste.
Protein, Health and Clean-Label Dairy Drive Innovation
Changing consumer preferences are also encouraging dairy companies to develop products with higher protein content, improved nutritional profiles and cleaner labels.
Chadha cited consumer data showing that 69% of consumers are actively trying to include more protein in their diets, while 61% consider gut health very important. These trends are creating opportunities for probiotics, cultures and enzymes in products such as high-protein dairy and functional fermented beverages.
However, consumers continue to expect good taste and texture alongside nutritional benefits. Biosolutions can help manufacturers develop dairy products with desirable mouthfeel, consistency and flavour while supporting reformulation and nutritional improvements.
The localisation of these solutions is particularly important in India. Products such as dahi have specific expectations around tanginess, thickness, aroma and texture. Technologies developed for one market may therefore need to be adapted to Indian processing conditions and consumer preferences.
Local Application Expertise Becomes Increasingly Important
India’s diverse raw materials, production systems and regional consumption habits make application expertise critical for successful adoption.
Novonesis is using its enzyme, microbial, culture and probiotic technologies alongside local technical capabilities to address specific manufacturing challenges. Rather than applying a standardised solution, the approach involves understanding individual processing conditions and adapting technologies accordingly.
Collaboration with food companies, research institutions and startups could further accelerate adoption. Institutions such as NIFTEM and NDRI can contribute scientific expertise and knowledge of Indian raw materials, while manufacturers provide the commercial-scale environment needed to validate new technologies.
For India’s dairy sector, the broader opportunity lies in connecting scientific research with practical manufacturing requirements.
As dairy companies face pressure to control costs, reduce waste and deliver products with better nutrition and longer freshness, biosolutions are increasingly moving from being viewed as specialist ingredients to becoming production-enabling technologies.
The ability to improve yield, protect freshness, enhance texture, support high-protein formulations and recover greater value from milk and whey could make biosolutions an increasingly important part of India’s next phase of dairy innovation.