Indian Dairy Sector Recognised for Innovations in Sustainability, Animal Care, Climate Action, and Rural Empowerment
India’s dairy industry has marked a significant global achievement with four innovations selected as finalists in the IDF Dairy Innovation Awards 2025, hosted by the International Dairy Federation (IDF). The winners will be announced on October 21, 2025, during the IDF World Dairy Summit in Santiago, Chile.
Held annually, the awards honour transformative dairy innovations that align with global priorities, including climate resilience, food security, sustainable processing, and rural livelihoods. This year’s competition attracted over 130 entries from across the world, with India emerging as a strong contender for driving scalable, impactful solutions across its vast dairy sector.
🇮🇳 India’s Four Finalist Innovations
1. Sustainable Processing Innovation
Jaipur Dairy (SARAS), Rajasthan
Jaipur Dairy’s pioneering Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system enables the recycling of over 660,000 litres of water daily, ensuring zero environmental wastewater discharge. As the first such installation in India’s dairy industry, this innovation has spurred similar adoption across Rajasthan’s cooperative dairy network under RCDF, placing the state at the forefront of eco-friendly dairy processing.
2. Innovation in Climate Action
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), India
NDDB’s biogas program converts livestock manure into clean energy while generating carbon credits. The initiative reduces dairy methane emissions and provides sustainable fuel access to smallholder farmers, supporting India’s climate action goals and promoting low-carbon dairy practices.
3. Innovation in Animal Care
Bharat Sanjeevani (India)
Through AI-powered diagnostics and mobile-enabled tools, Bharat Sanjeevani provides farmers with real-time veterinary insights, reducing disease outbreaks and improving herd health. The initiative enhances animal welfare and reduces antibiotic overuse, advancing precision dairy farming in rural India.
4. Socio-Economic Sustainability in Farming
NITARA (India)
NITARA’s mobile-first platform provides AI-based dairy management tools, offline access, and virtual advisory services specifically designed for smallholders. By helping farmers make informed decisions on nutrition, breeding, and productivity, it plays a key role in digitally empowering rural dairy communities.
🌍 A Global Stage for Dairy Innovation
The IDF Dairy Innovation Awards recognise excellence across four thematic areas:
- Sustainable Farming Practices
- Sustainable Processing Innovation
- New Product Innovation
- People and Planet in the Dairy Sector
India’s representation across these pillars reflects a dairy ecosystem that is increasingly data-driven, environmentally aware, and socially inclusive. These finalists stand alongside entries from the USA, Chile, Germany, South Africa, and China, showing that Indian dairy innovation is competitive on a global scale.
The evaluation process is based on key metrics including innovation, scalability, partnerships, SDG alignment, and data-backed impact. All entries are independently reviewed by an international panel of experts using a transparent, four-level scoring system.
đź”— Learn More
To explore the full list of finalists, award categories, and evaluation criteria, visit the official IDF Dairy Innovation Awards 2025 page:
👉 https://fil-idf.org/idf_events/idf-dairy-innovation-awards-2025/
🛤️ India’s Strategic Shift Toward Sustainable Dairy
India’s strong showing at the IDF Awards 2025 signals a shift from traditional volume-focused dairy production toward value-added, impact-oriented innovation. These four finalists showcase:
- Environmental stewardship through green processing
- Climate mitigation with low-emission technologies
- Digitally integrated animal healthcare
- Tech-led empowerment of smallholder farmers
As the world’s largest milk producer, India’s dairy leadership is increasingly being defined by scalability, innovation, and sustainability—qualities that are now gaining recognition at the highest levels of global industry forums.
