White Revolution 2.0 will strengthen India’s dairy sector: Amit Shah
New Delhi, Dec 6: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday inaugurated Banas Dairy’s newly built Bio-CNG and fertiliser plant in Vav-Tharad and laid the foundation stone for a 150-tonne milk powder facility.
Gujarat Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, Union Ministers of State Krishan Pal Gurjar and Murlidhar Mohol, and senior officials were present.
Speaking at the event, Amit Shah praised the transformation of Banaskantha’s dairy sector, calling Banas Dairy’s Rs 24,000-crore turnover “a remarkable achievement built by the hard work of the region’s women and farmers.”
He said the cooperative’s growth – from eight village societies in 1960 to becoming Asia’s largest milk-producing dairy, was “a miracle created by ordinary people with extraordinary commitment.”
Shah highlighted the role of water projects such as Sujalam-Sufalam in boosting agriculture in north Gujarat, noting that farmers who once grew a single crop now harvest three annually.
He said documented research on the region’s water-led development was underway to serve as a model for rural progress.
Emphasising women’s contribution, Shah said milk collection and cooperative work done by “mothers and sisters of Banaskantha” had become a global example of grassroots empowerment, with payments reaching them directly every week.
The minister also unveiled several new dairy-sector initiatives, including a protein plant and an automated paneer unit.
He said Banas Dairy’s Bio-CNG model would guide cooperatives nationwide as India transitions towards a circular dairy economy in which even cattle waste is converted into income through organic fertiliser, biogas and electricity.
Shah said the government had already created six new national-level cooperatives covering seeds, organic produce, exports and dairy, ensuring profits flow directly to farmers.
He said that producing high-value dairy products would greatly increase farmer incomes.
Shah assured livestock farmers that the new circular-economy model would raise their earnings by at least 20 percent even with current milk production levels, and said Banaskantha would be the hub for implementing this national plan.
He also linked the cooperative movement to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s legacy and paid tribute to B R Ambedkar on his death anniversary, noting that the Constitution had enabled equal opportunity for all sections of society.
Shah said White Revolution 2.0, driven by new national missions and infrastructure funds, would further strengthen India’s dairy sector and ensure that the “Banas model” benefits farmers across the country.
