National Seminar on Innovations and Opportunities in Dairy Entrepreneurship held

TDDCF plans to set up 400–500 Vijaya Dairy Parlours in 3–4 years; aims to raise milk procurement from 4 lakh to 6 lakh litres per day: Gutha Amith Reddy, Chairman, TDDCF
Hyderabad, December 12, 2025: The Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FTCCI), in collaboration with the Indian Dairy Association – Telangana Local Centre, organised a full-day national seminar titled “Innovations and Opportunities in Dairy Entrepreneurship: From Farm to Market” at the KLN Prasad Auditorium, Federation House, Red Hills, Hyderabad.
The seminar was organised as part of National Milk Day 2025, commemorating the birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, the Father of India’s White Revolution. Though National Milk Day falls on November 26, the celebrations were observed on the occasion of this seminar.
The event was graced by Gutha Amith Reddy, Chairman, Telangana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Ltd (TDDCF) as Special Guest; Rajeshwara Rao, Chairman, Indian Dairy Association – Telangana Local Centre as Keynote Speaker; and Dr A. Sarat Chandra, Registrar, P. V. Narsimha Rao Telangana Veterinary University. Senior FTCCI leadership present included K. K. Maheshwari, Senior Vice President; Sri Srinivas Garimella, Vice President; and S. Chandra Mohan, Chairman, FTCCI Agro & Food Processing Committee.
Addressing the gathering, Gutha Amith Reddy announced that the Telangana Dairy Development Cooperative Federation Ltd plans to expand its Vijaya Dairy parlour network by setting up 400 to 500 new parlours over the next three to four years. He invited interested entrepreneurs and applicants to come forward to establish Vijaya Dairy parlours, stating that marketing and branding are currently a key focus area. He informed that 50 new parlours have already been opened within GHMC limits and another 25 in rural areas, adding that the expansion is an ongoing process, with a possible rollout of around 25 parlours per month.
He further stated that TDDCF is currently procuring around 4 lakh litres of milk per day and aims to scale this up to 6 lakh litres per day. Elaborating on the federation’s operations, he said that while approximately 4.40 lakh litres of milk are procured daily, sales are about 3.20 lakh litres, with the surplus converted into products such as milk powder and butter. Strengthening milk procurement and market absorption remains a key priority, he added.
The Chairman noted that the federation has moved from survival mode last year to a sustainable phase now, and explained that urbanisation—nearly 50% of the population around Hyderabad being urban—is one of the reasons Telangana lags in milk production. He also highlighted the government’s commitment to improving dairy output and shared that AI and ERP systems are being used in breeding, rearing, and operational management at the federation.
In his keynote address, Rajeshwara Rao said that farmers’ declining focus on livestock rearing, especially milk-giving animals, is driven not by lack of awareness but by economic stress, structural shifts, and policy gaps. He stressed that livestock rearing remains the best alternative source of steady income for farmers and called for assured milk pricing, timely payments, village-level fodder security, strong and transparent cooperatives, and animal insurance and health cover to revive dairy farming as a primary livelihood.
Dr A. Sarat Chandra pointed out that while India is the world’s largest milk producer with 248 million metric tonnes, productivity remains low. He noted that average milk yield per lactation in India is around 1,700 litres, compared to 3,500 litres in Western countries, underscoring the need for focused productivity enhancement. He also highlighted that while India is food-secure, it remains protein-deficient, and milk is a critical source of nutrition.
In his opening remarks, K. K. Maheshwari, Senior Vice President, FTCCI, recalled the transformative contribution of Dr Verghese Kurien to India’s White Revolution. S. Chandra Mohan emphasised the need for policies encouraging every farmer to rear livestock to ensure nutritional security and steady income.
The one-day seminar featured four technical sessions covering Dairy Farming and Production, Processing and Value Addition, Dairy Technology and Digital Transformation, and Financial Support, with participation from experts from academia, industry, dairy cooperatives, and financial institutions. The objective was to create a knowledge-sharing platform for dairy startups, FPOs, cooperatives, and entrepreneurs.
Among others present were Srinivas Garimella, Vice President, FTCCI; P. Vijay Gopal Reddy; Prof. B. P. Acharya; Madhusudhan Rao, GM, TDDCF; Dr Yadlapalli Venkateswara Rao; Patanjali Rao Upadrasta; Dr N. Natraj; Jayakumar Udernani; Dr Ch. Harikrishna; Vamseedhar; Dr J. Tamizh Kumaran; Dr Ch. Satyanarayana; A. Praveen Reddy; V. Gopala Krishna Murthy; and Panduan N. Marpalle.