Anand : The National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) and the Indian Army have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening cooperation in milk procurement, processing and cold-chain management through India’s dairy cooperative network.
The commitment was made at the Cooperative Conclave on Dairy-Defence Partnership in Anand, Gujarat, which brought together senior defence officials and dairy cooperative leaders to discuss reliable supplies of milk and dairy products to defence establishments.
Dairy cooperatives support troops in difficult terrains
Dr Meenesh Shah, Chairman of NCDFI and Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), highlighted the importance of the partnership, which dates back nearly four decades.
He said the cooperative-defence model benefits all stakeholders: defence establishments receive dependable dairy supplies, cooperatives gain assured institutional markets and better utilisation of processing infrastructure, while dairy farmers gain wider markets and regular income.
Also Read: Gokul, Katraj raise milk prices by ₹2/litre amid rising procurement and operating costs
Lt Gen Mukesh Chadha, Director General of Supplies and Transport (DGST), Indian Army, appreciated NCDFI and its member cooperatives for maintaining reliable supplies to troops stationed in remote, border and high-altitude regions.
He also highlighted NDDB’s efforts to organise and strengthen dairy cooperatives in border areas, helping expand local milk production and improve rural livelihoods.
₹1,627-crore contract value in 2025-26
The scale of the partnership has expanded significantly. NCDFI’s association with the Ministry of Defence began in 1984 and now involves 117 dairy cooperatives.
During 2025-26, the partnership recorded a contract value of ₹1,627 crore. Fresh milk supplies to defence establishments reached 18.48 crore litres, while combined fresh and UHT milk supplies stood at 22.60 crore litres.
Importantly, 10 dairy cooperatives from border and North-Eastern states supplied 6.44 crore litres of fresh milk to 196 Army units, strengthening the role of local cooperatives in defence supply chains.
Focus on resilient cold chains and digital coordination
The conclave also examined operational requirements and future supply arrangements for the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) and Assam Rifles.
Participants discussed several measures to make the dairy-defence supply chain more resilient, including:
- Better demand forecasting and visibility
- Product-wise capacity mapping
- Alternative supply arrangements
- Stronger quality-control and cold-chain systems
- Digital coordination between cooperatives and defence establishments
- Diversification of dairy products supplied
- Sustainable logistics solutions
A strategic model for dairy cooperatives
The partnership demonstrates how institutional procurement can strengthen dairy cooperatives while creating reliable local supply chains for strategically important regions.
For dairy cooperatives operating in border and North-Eastern areas, defence procurement can provide a stable market for milk while supporting investments in chilling, processing, UHT technology, cold-chain infrastructure and logistics.
The renewed cooperation therefore extends beyond simply supplying milk to the armed forces. It represents a broader dairy-development and supply-chain resilience model, linking farmers, cooperatives, processing infrastructure and national institutions.
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