The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) recently hosted a significant conference titled “Future Roadmap for Indian Dairy Sector,” featuring a crucial panel discussion on “Value Added Milk & Milk Products.”
The session was chaired by Dr. Dheer Singh, Director of ICAR, and included esteemed panellists such as Manish Bandlish, MD of Mother Dairy Milk, Dr. Amit Vyas, MD of Amul Dairy, Dr. Suneeta Pinto, Principal of SMC College of Dairy Science, Dr. Atanu Jana, Former Principal of SMC College of Dairy Science, Sameer Saxena, Head of QA & NPD at Amul Cooperative, and S Rajeev, Executive Director of NDDB.
The panel emphasized the vital role of value-added dairy products in enhancing farmer incomes and providing consumers with diverse choices. Key recommendations emerged from the discussion, highlighting the need for innovative product development tailored to evolving consumer preferences.
The panellists underscored the importance of establishing laboratories for clinical trials on milk components such as immunoglobulins, lactoferrin, and peptides to validate their health benefits. They also advocated for a focused approach to utilizing various dairy by-products to create new value-added products.
Understanding consumer trends through market studies was deemed essential for developing products that align with consumer demands. To support these efforts, the panel proposed the establishment of a center of excellence for dairy cooperatives to foster innovation in product development.
Additionally, there was a strong call for the indigenous production of dairy cultures and the enzyme rennet to reduce dependency on imports.
The discussion further urged dairy cooperatives to strategically include value-added products in their portfolios to achieve economies of scale. While emphasizing value-added products, the panel also suggested that dairy plants should manufacture traditional products like Khoa and Channa for the sweets market.
Overall, the conference underscored the necessity for a balanced mix of traditional and value-added dairy products to enhance the profitability of dairy farmers and offer better choices to consumers. The insights and recommendations provided aim to guide the Indian dairy sector towards sustainable growth and innovation.
