Real Indian Heroes Part 3 | Dr Varghese Kurien | Father of Indian White (Dairy) revolution [Video]

Verghese Kurien (26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012) was an Indian dairy engineer and social entrepreneur who led initiatives that contributed to the extensive increase in milk production termed the White Revolution.

Kurien graduated in physics from University of Madras in 1940 and received his masters in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University in 1947. In 1949, Kurien was sent by the Government of India to run its experimental creamery at Anand where he set up the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Limited in 1950 which later became Amul. Amul organised dairy farmers in the villages as a part of a cooperative and linked them to consumers directly. The dairy cooperative was successful in increasing milk production as consumers paid in cash to dairy farmers who controlled the marketing, procurement, and processing of milk and milk products as the owners of the cooperative.

In 1965, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was established with Kurien as the head to replicate the Anand co-operative scheme nationwide. In 1979, he founded the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA) to groom managers for the cooperatives. Kurien helped set up similar cooperatives across India which made dairy farming one of the largest self-sustaining industries and employment generators in rural areas. This led to a multi-fold increased milk output over the next few decades which helped India become the world’s largest milk producer in 1998. For his contributions in increasing the dairy output, Kurian is known as the “Father of the White Revolution” in India. The co-operative model was later applied successfully to other industries such as edible oils.

He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1964 and World Food Prize in 1989. In 1999, he received Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour. He was conferred the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Government in 1997.