India's Dairy Sector Sees Record Growth and Infrastructure Investment in 2025

India's livestock and dairy sector experienced notable growth in 2025, underpinned by a robust 5.4% annual increase in milk production, rising from 146 million metric tons (MMT) to nearly 248 MMT. This solidified India's status as the leading global milk producer. The per capita milk availability reached 485 grams per day, surpassing the global average of 328 grams per day.

Government initiatives have emphasized genetic improvement and breed conservation, with the establishment of the Regional Center of Excellence for Indigenous Breeds and the opening of the first IVF laboratory in the North Eastern region. These efforts aim to enhance access to advanced reproductive technologies.

Investment under the National Programme for Dairy Development (NPDD) exceeded ₹4,100 crore, focusing on expanding milk procurement, processing, and value addition infrastructure across 28 states and 3 Union Territories. This included the development of new pooling points and enhanced testing laboratories to meet quality and safety benchmarks.

The Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) has approved 465 projects valued at ₹21,562 crore, supporting value-added dairy, feed, vaccine production, and breed improvement. These projects offer favorable interest subventions to encourage private sector, MSME, and cooperative involvement in the dairy industry.

For grassroots dairy producers, over 4.56 million Kisan Credit Cards (KCCs) were issued, expanding affordable credit access for farmers. Additionally, mass vaccinations and mobile veterinary units were part of initiatives to improve livestock health and farm productivity.