Ahmedabad : The Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) inaugurated the 5th ICC Dairy Summit 2026 on March 10–11 at the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA), Ahmedabad, bringing together policymakers, industry leaders, financial institutions, and dairy sector stakeholders to deliberate on the future of India’s dairy industry. The summit is themed “Innovating for a Sustainable & Profitable Dairy Future.”
The two-day summit aims to explore strategies for enhancing productivity, strengthening infrastructure, promoting value addition, and accelerating digital transformation across the dairy value chain, while encouraging collaboration among government agencies, cooperatives, financial institutions, and private sector players.
Delivering the welcome address, Shri Pathik S. Patwari, Chairman, ICC Gujarat State Council, highlighted the pivotal role of the dairy sector in driving rural prosperity and inclusive economic growth. As the world’s largest milk producer, India’s dairy industry contributes significantly to agricultural GDP and provides a stable source of income for millions of small and marginal farmers.
He noted that hosting the summit in Gujarat — the birthplace of India’s White Revolution and home to the globally renowned cooperative movement led by Amul — carries both symbolic and strategic importance, offering an ideal platform to discuss innovations and partnerships for the sector’s next phase of growth.
The summit featured insightful perspectives from leaders across finance, industry, government, and the cooperative sector.
Shri Atul Rathi, General Manager, State Bank of India, emphasized the importance of financial inclusion and accessible credit in strengthening dairy infrastructure and enabling farmers and dairy entrepreneurs to invest in modern technologies and value-added processing.
Sharing industry insights, Shri Rajiv Gandhi, Managing Director and CEO of Hester Biosciences Ltd, stressed the need to strengthen animal health systems through disease prevention, vaccination, advanced veterinary solutions, and scientific herd management to improve productivity and create a resilient livestock ecosystem.
From the government perspective, Dr. Falguni S. Thakar, Director, Directorate of Animal Husbandry, Government of Gujarat, outlined initiatives focused on improving breed quality, expanding veterinary infrastructure, and strengthening animal health services across the state. She emphasized the importance of scientific breeding, balanced nutrition, and farmer training in enhancing dairy productivity and sustainability.
Shri M. P. Pandya, Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Government of Gujarat, highlighted the continuing strength of cooperative institutions, noting that they remain the backbone of India’s dairy ecosystem by ensuring transparent procurement systems, fair pricing for farmers, and efficient supply chains linking rural producers to national and global markets.
Providing a national outlook, Dr. Meenesh Shah, Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), shared insights on the sector’s future roadmap, emphasizing the need for productivity enhancement, digital transformation, climate-resilient dairy practices, and expansion of value-added dairy products to strengthen India’s global competitiveness while increasing farmer incomes.
A key highlight of the summit is an exhibition showcasing innovations across the dairy value chain, including advanced processing technologies, cold-chain logistics, smart dairy farming solutions, genetics, and digital platforms. The discussions also emphasized the importance of climate-resilient dairy systems, value addition, and technology adoption through collaborative efforts among government bodies, cooperatives, financial institutions, and industry stakeholders.
The 5th ICC Dairy Summit 2026 aims to serve as a strategic platform to promote partnerships, knowledge exchange, and innovation, supporting the development of a sustainable, technology-driven, and globally competitive dairy ecosystem in India.