The Ministry of Cooperation has launched White Revolution 2.0, a cooperative-led national initiative aimed at expanding institutional coverage in dairying, generating rural employment and strengthening women’s economic participation. The programme sets an ambitious objective: to increase milk procurement by dairy cooperatives by 50 per cent over the next five years by extending organised market access to uncovered regions and deepening cooperative penetration.
In absolute terms, cooperative milk procurement is projected to reach 1,007 lakh kilograms per day by 2028–29, positioning cooperatives as a stronger pillar of India’s organised dairy sector. This growth is anchored in a two-pronged strategy expanding cooperative coverage into uncovered geographies and deepening the operational reach of existing institutions.
Cooperative Expansion and Nutritional Security
White Revolution 2.0 also integrates nutritional objectives alongside market expansion. The initiative envisages the establishment and strengthening of nearly 1.2 lakh Dairy Cooperative Societies (DCS), including Multipurpose DCSs and PACS-based dairy units. These cooperatives are to be systematically linked with milk routes through route expansion and the creation of new procurement corridors.
To support quality, efficiency and traceability, the programme prioritises enabling infrastructure such as automatic milk collection units, data processing systems, testing equipment and bulk milk coolers, deployed as per local requirements. These investments are designed to reduce post-harvest losses, improve milk quality and enhance farmer confidence in cooperative procurement systems.
Funding Framework and Implementation
The activities under White Revolution 2.0 are financed through the National Dairy Development Programme 2.0 (NPDD 2.0), implemented by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying. Execution follows standardised national guidelines, ensuring uniformity in cooperative strengthening while allowing flexibility to address region-specific challenges.
Women at the Core of Dairy Transformation
Women form the backbone of India’s dairy economy, accounting for nearly 70 per cent of the dairy workforce. Their responsibilities extend across milking, feeding, herd management and animal healthcare. Despite this central role, their contribution has historically remained undervalued due to the largely unorganised nature of dairy farming.
White Revolution 2.0 directly addresses this structural imbalance. The programme proposes the establishment of 75,000 new DCSs in uncovered areas and the strengthening of 46,422 existing societies, with a strong emphasis on women’s participation. By creating a DCS in every uncovered panchayat or village, the initiative aims to formally integrate more women dairy farmers into the organised cooperative framework.
Women-led dairy cooperatives have already demonstrated their potential as instruments of economic empowerment, income stability and leadership development. Scaling this model under White Revolution 2.0 not only enhances market access and earnings but also improves household nutrition and community-level resilience.
A Structural Shift, Not Just a Procurement Target
White Revolution 2.0 represents more than an expansion of milk procurement volumes. It signals a structural shift towards inclusive, cooperative-driven dairy growth, where women are positioned not merely as contributors, but as stakeholders and decision-makers. If effectively implemented, the initiative could redefine gender equity in India’s dairy sector while strengthening the cooperative model as a driver of rural transformation.