12/09/2026
Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB graced the 65th Foundation Day Lecture of the Agro-Economic Research Centre as Guest of Honour at Sardar Patel University in the august presence of Prof. S.Mahendra Dev, Chairman, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM), as Chief Guest; Dr. Kirit Shelat, Former Principal Secretary, Govt. of Gujarat & Executive Chairman, NCCSD, Ahmedabad and Prof. Dr. Niranjan Patel, Vice Chancellor, Sardar Patel University Gujarat.
Prof. Dev outlined India’s agriculture roadmap to ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’: shifting from a production to an income approach amid global trade, climate and AI disruptions; diversifying from water-intensive rice & wheat towards millets, oilseeds, livestock & fisheries with guaranteed farmer returns; strengthening water & soil management and natural farming through schemes like PM-KUSUM; aligning production with demand while addressing MSP procurement and APMC/e-NAM gaps; expanding food processing, reducing post-harvest losses and boosting exports without disadvantaging India’s smallholder farmers. He also highlighted women’s central yet under-supported role in agriculture and outlined solutions including higher productivity, dual agri/non-agri income, structural workforce transformation and climate resilience with India’s political-economic stability as a key strength.
Chairman, NDDB highlighted milk’s significant role in ensuring livelihood security for dairy farmers and nutritional security for India’s large lacto-vegetarian population. He explained how the Indian dairy cooperative ecosystem represents ‘production by the masses’ rather than mass production supporting 8 Crore farmer families. Tracing the journey of the dairy cooperative movement, he presented the path to ‘White Revolution 2.0’: genetic upgradation through breeding, nutrition & health strategies, circularity and sustainability of the dairy sector and increasing the share of organised market for safe milk and milk products. He emphasised that with the right policies, strategies, and adoption of technology, India can further strengthen its position as the world’s largest milk producer and contribute significantly to a ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’.
Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India
Dept of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Min of FAHD