Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Sunday performed the Bhoomi Pujan for the world’s largest curd manufacturing plant under the Amul Bengal Dairy Project in Kolkata, saying the initiative would strengthen the cooperative movement, boost farmers’ incomes and contribute to the vision of “White Revolution 2.0”.
The project, being developed by Amul at the Howrah Food Park with an investment of about Rs 700 crore, aims to modernise West Bengal’s dairy sector through expanded milk processing, value addition, cold-chain infrastructure and marketing facilities. Once fully operational, the plant will have the capacity to process 30 lakh litres of milk daily and produce nearly 10 lakh kilograms of curd and cultured dairy products every day, making it the world’s largest curd manufacturing facility.
Addressing the gathering, Amit Shah said the project reflects Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Sahkar Se Samriddhi” and the government’s commitment to building a prosperous and self-reliant West Bengal.
“Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, the resolve to build a prosperous, secure, educated and culturally enriched ‘Sonar Bangla’ is being translated into action,” Shah said.
He said the first phase of the project would process 10 lakh litres of milk every day, benefiting around 1.20 lakh milk-producing livestock rearers in the state.
Highlighting the support extended by the West Bengal government, Shah said the allocation of 30 acres of land free of cost had enabled the project to take shape.
“This decision has paved the way for nearly 100 major investments in West Bengal and will help livestock rearers secure the highest possible price for their milk,” he said.
The Home Minister expressed confidence that Bengal’s iconic mishti doi would now gain wider national reach.
“From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and Gujarat to Bengal, the mishti doi made in Bengal will now be enjoyed in households across the country,” he said.
Emphasising the strength of the cooperative model, Shah said Amul ensures that the largest share of consumer spending reaches farmers.
“For every Rs 100 spent on an Amul product, around Rs 87 goes directly into the accounts of farmers and livestock rearers,” he said, adding that Amul today has over 36 lakh women members and more than 18,600 rural dairy cooperative societies associated with it.
Shah also announced that the Centre would establish an animal breed improvement programme in West Bengal, including a Sex-Sorted Semen facility, to improve milk productivity and increase the number of high-yielding milch animals.
He said the Ministry of Cooperation’s 70-plus farmer welfare schemes would be implemented in West Bengal within the next six months through coordinated efforts between the Centre and the state government.
The Home Minister also highlighted several cooperative sector initiatives launched during the event, including the inauguration of 10 cooperative warehouses, computerisation of the Registrar of Cooperative Societies’ office, and the signing of an MoU to integrate West Bengal’s taxis with the Bharat Taxi platform.
Explaining the initiative, Shah said the ‘Sarathi’ model would transform taxi drivers into stakeholders.
“Every Sarathi will become an owner of both the vehicle and Bharat Taxi, ensuring that a share of the company’s profits reaches them directly,” he said.
Describing West Bengal as a state with immense agricultural and dairy potential due to its fertile land and abundant water resources, Shah said efforts would be made over the next 15 years to ensure every livestock-rearing household owns at least two improved-breed milch animals capable of producing 25 per cent more milk.
“This will make animal husbandry a regular and reliable source of income for rural families and pave the way for a new White Revolution in West Bengal,” he said.
The Amul Bengal Dairy Project will also produce 10 lakh litres of packaged milk, two lakh litres of UHT milk, one lakh litres of ice cream, 20 metric tonnes of paneer, 10 metric tonnes each of ghee and sweets, and around 2.5 lakh packs of flavoured milk every day. The project is expected to strengthen dairy cooperatives, generate rural employment and provide milk producers with a transparent and stable market, thereby enhancing farmers’ incomes and supporting the state’s dairy economy.
