From being a milk-deficient country dependent on imports to becoming the world’s largest producer of milk, milk production in India has shown remarkable growth over the past decades, and it’s something worth paying attention to. All thanks to Operation Flood and Dr. Verghese Kurien, the “Father of White Revolution” in India. Despite all these, have you ever wondered how much milk India produces per year?
Well, let’s start with previous data.
Milk production in India :
India has the world’s largest dairy herd, with over 300 million milking animals, producing several million tonnes of milk. India is first among all countries in milk production and consumption.
Milk production in India is growing constantly;
- Year 2023-24 showed impressive growth to 207.1 metric tonnes
- Today (2024-25), India’s milk production is around 211.7 metric tons.
This growth of 4.6 metric tonnes represents an increase of roughly 2.2% over the previous year.
Of course, India is the largest milk-producing country in the world, and questions like “How much is the market share?” and “Which are the top competing countries?” still arise. Well, let’s look towards it in the next section.
(Reference: USDA Report, 2024)
Fig. Fluid milk production in India
Top milk-producing countries in the world (2024-25)
- India:
India is projected to produce 211.7 million metric tons of milk, which is 31% of the world’s total milk production.
- European Union:
The European Union is projected to produce 149.63 million metric tons of milk, which is 22% of the world’s total milk production.
- United States:
The United States is projected to produce 102.66 million metric tons of milk, which is 15% of the world’s total milk production.
(Reference: USDA Report, 2024)
This much milk is produced in India every year, being distributed in both organized and unorganized sectors, but what about per day capita consumption of milk. Let’s see that as well.
Per day milk capita availability in India:
Basically, per day capita availability refers to the average amount of milk that is available for consumption each day for a person in the country, which is measured in grams or liters per day.
You might be wondering how much milk is available for each person in India.
- India’s per capita milk consumption has constantly increased over the years, with the figure starting from 459 grams per day in 2022-23 to 471 grams in 2023-24, showing a growing demand for milk and milk products in the daily diet of Indians.
(Reference: Animal Husbandry Statistics, 2024)
Interesting Fact:
(Reference: Food Outlook June 2023)
Now we know the milk production and per-day capita consumption of milk. What do you think, which Indian state is top in milk production? Let’s have a look at the top milk-producing states in India.
Top milk-producing states in India:
States like Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan are the largest milk producers, indicating their well-established dairy farming practices. Uttar Pradesh is home to a large number of small and medium dairy farmers, whereas Rajasthan’s vast rural areas contribute to its leading role.
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Top 5 milk-producing states in India
- Uttar Pradesh: 16.21%
- Rajasthan: 14.51%
- Madhya Pradesh: 8.91%
- Gujarat: 7.65%
- Maharashtra: 6.71%
Together, they contribute to 53.99% of India’s total milk production.
(Reference: Animal Husbandry Statistics, 2024)
Species-wise milk contribution in 2023-24
In India, milk production is mainly dominated by buffaloes, followed by cattle and goats contributing to a much lesser extent.
- Buffaloes: Contribute approximately 45.32% of total milk production.
- Cattle: Contributes 44.51% of total milk production.
- Goat: Contributes 3.36% of total milk production.
Buffaloes have higher milk yield and adaptability to Indian climate conditions, making them favored in India’s dairy farming. They are also preferred due to the use of buffalo milk for the production of traditional dairy products such as paneer, ghee, and curd.
(Reference: Animal Husbandry Statistics, 2024)
For a more detailed understanding of species-wise milk contribution in India, refer to the following figure:
Exotic: Refers to breeds that are non-native to India but are imported from other countries.
Crossbreed: Refers to animals that are offspring of two different breeds of the same species.
Indigenous: Refers to breeds that are native to India.
Nondescript: Refers to animals that are not part of known breeds or crossbreeds, found across various regions with varying properties.
Fig 2. Species wise milk contribution in 2023-24
(Reference: Animal Husbandry Statistics, 2024)
Looking ahead, India’s dairy sector is booming. With technological advancements, government initiatives for small-scale farmers, sustainability efforts & growing awareness of healthy life choices, India is likely to remain a global leader in milk production for years to come.
