NDDB Highlights Women’s Leadership in Dairy, Targets ₹1 Lakh Monthly Income for Women Farmers

India | August 2026 – The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) is strengthening women’s leadership across India’s dairy sector, with a long-term vision of increasing the average monthly income of women dairy farmers to ₹1 lakh over the next decade.

Speaking at the CII Women in Agri & Food Leadership Forum, C. P. Devanand, Managing Director of NDDB Dairy Services, highlighted the growing role of women in dairy producer organizations and rural entrepreneurship.

Women Driving Dairy Producer Organisations

According to Devanand, NDDB has established 25 Milk Producer Organisations (MPOs) over the past 12 years with support from Tata Trusts, the National Rural Livestock Mission, State Rural Livestock Missions, JICA, and the World Bank.

Among these:

• 18 MPOs are fully women-owned.
• 23 women serve as chairpersons.
• 217 of the 256 directors are women.
• Women members contributed ₹326 crore out of the ₹1,500 crore mobilized by the organisations.

He noted that women are increasingly transitioning from traditional dairy contributors to enterprise owners, organizational leaders, and financial decision-makers.

Women’s Contribution to India’s Dairy Industry

India remains the world’s largest milk producer, accounting for nearly 25% of global milk production, with women representing approximately 70% of the dairy workforce.

Within NDDB’s cooperative network:

• Around 1.72 crore members are associated with dairy cooperatives.
• 30–35% of members are women.
• Nearly 53,000 dairy cooperative societies are managed entirely by women.

The figures underscore the expanding role of women in India’s dairy value chain, from milk production to governance and cooperative management.

MPO Model Strengthening Rural Dairy Economy

Introduced in 2014, the Milk Producer Organisation (MPO) model was designed to strengthen dairy value chains in regions where cooperative coverage remains limited.

The model combines the farmer-centric principles of cooperatives with the operational flexibility of a company structure, enabling better market access, improved governance, and stronger financial sustainability for dairy farmers.

According to NDDB, the producer organisation network has transferred over ₹60,000 crore to farmers during the past 10–12 years, including approximately ₹8,000 crore through direct bank transfers in the last year alone.

Additionally, the programme has facilitated around ₹110 crore in credit mobilisation for rural dairy producers.

Expanding Women-Led Rural Enterprises

Beyond dairy, NDDB is encouraging women entrepreneurs to diversify into sectors including food processing, handicrafts, and handloom products.

The organisation also plans to launch a women-owned consumer brand later this year to enhance market opportunities for women-led enterprises.

As part of its sustainability initiatives, nearly 75,000 biogas plants have been installed at farmers’ homes, helping generate additional income while reducing dependence on LPG.

Vision for the Next Decade

Currently, women dairy farmers associated with the programme earn an estimated ₹13,000–14,000 per month after expenses.

NDDB aims to significantly increase these earnings to ₹1 lakh per month over the next ten years by expanding dairy infrastructure, strengthening governance, improving market access, and promoting women-led rural entrepreneurship.

The initiative reflects India’s broader efforts to enhance financial inclusion, strengthen dairy value chains, and position women as key drivers of growth in the country’s dairy industry.