In a powerful presentation at the 2025 IDF World Dairy Summit in Santiago, Chile, Meenesh Shah, the chairman and managing director of the National Development Dairy Board (NDDB) in India, highlighted the significant strides India is making in empowering women within the dairy sector. With India being the largest milk producer globally, this advancement is not just about scale but the social transformation it fosters among women in rural communities across the nation.
The Backbone of India’s Dairy Success
India’s dairy industry thrives on a unique small-scale farming system. With more than 230,000 village dairy cooperatives, these entities provide a lifeline to more than 18 million families across the nation. Remarkably, about 35% of cooperative members are women. This representation has grown significantly, with an increasing focus on empowering women to comprise 50% of the total membership.
“Our daily system is different. It’s a small-scale dairy farming system where the production is by masses ... and 92% of the farms have one to four animals,” she says. “It’s actually providing nutrition to the livelihood for the 80 million rural households.”
Catalysts of Empowerment
The cooperative model serves as a potent tool for women’s empowerment, offering them financial independence and authority within their households. With digitalization facilitating bank account accessibility and identity validation, more women are enrolling as cooperative members. These cooperatives collect about 68 million liters of milk daily, with women contributing 24 million liters.
The economic impact resonates deeply. Women now have direct access to earnings, enabling investment in family welfare, such as education, health and better living standards. The empowerment extends beyond economics, bolstering women’s confidence and enhancing their roles as decision-makers in their families and communities.
“The social economic empowerment for the women members is because they get money in their hand, and they have freedom to spend where they want,” she says. “And it’s leading to the improved standard of living, which is providing self-confidence to them, enhancing awareness and also improving the decision-making status of the women member generally in the male dominated society.”
Transformational Stories and Achievements
A study revealed that placing financial resources in the hands of women in dairy farming positively impacts their families’ education, nutrition and health. Women are responsible for 60% to 95% of dairy-related tasks and 50% of decision-making. This involvement not only nurtures their communities but also inspires shifts in social dynamics.
“We also realize that when you put money in the hands of women as compared to the man in the family, the money is better spent,” she says. “It is spent for the education of the family members, marriage of the children or the health or literacy of the family. And today we are experiencing almost one-third of the women they have the economic empowerment and the social recognition because of these efforts made and providing this productive economic engagement to the women in the rural areas.”
Through initiatives led by the NDDB, 23 producer organizations have been established, with 16 exclusively comprising women. These entities manage significant collections of milk daily and have amassed impressive earnings, illustrating the success of these empowerment programs. Additionally, women’s leadership within these cooperatives has been bolstered, with 154 women directors participating in governance.
Recognition and Future Prospects
The impact of women’s empowerment in India’s dairy sector has not gone unnoticed. International recognition, such as the IDF Innovation Award, celebrates these achievements. Figures like Sri Devi, chairman of Srija Producer Organization, exemplify the transformative journey from an ordinary milk producer to a leader, with her daughter now pursuing higher education in the U.S.
Ultimately, the women of India’s dairy industry redefine traditional roles, transforming grassroots production into a globally recognized force. Their stories underscore the broader social impact of economic empowerment and inspire continued support for female participation in this vibrant sector.
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