Coimbatore | June 2025
In a pioneering step to rejuvenate Tamil Nadu’s ailing milk cooperative sector, the state’s Milk and Dairy Development Department has launched an ambitious pilot project named ‘Mission White Wave’. The initiative aims to transform over 1,365 non-functional dairy societies into profitable entities—leveraging the expertise of management students and academic institutions.
T. Mano Thangaraj, Minister for Dairy and Milk Development, officially inaugurated the project on Friday at a workshop in Coimbatore, marking the start of an innovative partnership between Aavin and two private educational institutions: Ratnam Educational Group and Kumaraguru Educational Group.
🎓 MBA Students to Lead Cooperative Revival
As part of the project, select MBA students from the participating institutions will be trained in cooperative society operations and dairy business management. Over a three-month period, they will work directly with underperforming societies to restructure operations, identify financial inefficiencies, and implement sustainable business models.
“There are 1,365 non-functional milk societies in Tamil Nadu. Through structured training and strategic engagement with MBA students, we aim to turn them into profitable cooperatives,” said Minister Thangaraj at the launch event.
🌾 A Model for Rural Dairy Transformation
Tamil Nadu currently has 9,232 milk producers’ cooperative societies. The White Wave project is designed not only to revive the sick ones but to create a scalable model that could eventually revitalize all cooperatives across the state.
If successful, the project will be expanded statewide, enabling growth in:
-
Milk production
-
Sales of dairy products
-
Aavin’s rural footprint
The state also plans to open more Aavin retail outlets in villages, improving market access for farmers and ensuring wider distribution of milk and dairy products.
“The aim is to build an ecosystem where every cooperative operates as a financially healthy, community-led enterprise,” added Thangaraj.
🇮🇳 National Relevance: Lessons for the Indian Dairy Industry
1. Blending Academia with Agribusiness
By integrating management education into cooperative reform, Tamil Nadu has introduced a replicable model that empowers youth while solving deep-rooted rural challenges.
“This is a first-of-its-kind intervention where academic talent is being channelled into real-world dairy development,” says Dr. Latha Narayanan, Dairy Policy Researcher, Chennai.
2. Rural Job Creation & Skills Development
The project doubles as a capacity-building program, offering on-ground exposure to future professionals while supporting rural economies and strengthening the dairy value chain.
3. Boosting Cooperative Governance
Weak governance and financial mismanagement are common causes of cooperative decline. Training youth in these domains enhances transparency, professionalism, and accountability.
4. Aavin as a Dairy Innovation Hub
With Aavin leading the effort, the initiative also underscores the need for state-run cooperatives to evolve beyond procurement and sales—toward being centers of knowledge, strategy, and inclusive development.
