India celebrates 26 November, birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, the father of India’s milk revolution, as the National Milk Day. The dairy cooperative movement inspired by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel led to the formation of Amul in 1946, which was replicated across the country, resulting in India emerging as the largest producer of milk in the world.
Amul, along with its pioneering role in spreading the milk revolution, is now championing the circular economy with its BioCNG project to generate fuel from cow-dung. This initiative not only provides farmers with an additional income source but also offers clean fuel and organic fertiliser, thus reducing reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to a cleaner environment. By setting up multiple BioCNG plants for processing dung, it aims to bring in positive and sustainable impact on both agricultural and energy sectors.
To spread awareness of clean fuel and sustainability, Amul has organized a series of four mega Clean Fuel Rallies across India as part of National Milk Day celebrations. The rallies, powered by Maruti Suzuki and Bajaj Auto, aim to raise awareness of the circular economy while honouring the legacy of India’s dairy cooperatives.
The Pune Bike rally, which will cover more than 2000 kms travelling across the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan will culminate at Delhi, where the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India is organizing National Milk Day celebrations on November 26th. This timeline also coincides with the event organized by International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) to officially declare the year 2025 as ‘International Year of Cooperatives’. The conference, themed “Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All”, will be attended by global leaders, academics and practitioners. A special screening of Amul’s national award-winning film Manthan is also organized at the ICA Global Conference in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on November 26th.
The rally was flagged off on 15th November in Bajaj’s Akurdi Plant in Pune and reached Surat on 17th November, where the riders were welcomed and facilitated by Sumul dairy and Vasudhara Dairy.
In Vasudhara Union, Shri Narendrabhai Vashi, Managing Director of Vasudhara Union, extended a warm welcome to the participants. During his address, he shared the history and journey of Vasudhara Union since its inception, emphasizing the union’s commitment to improving the livelihoods of village farmers. Shri Vashi highlighted the importance of bio-gas plants at the village level, focusing on how these initiatives can significantly improve the quality of life for farmers by converting cattle dung into biogas.
At Sumul Union, the rally was warmly received by Shri Bhupesh Parikh, General Manager of Sumul Union. Shri Parikh acknowledged the contribution of Dr. Verghese Kurien in revolutionizing India’s dairy sector and paid tribute to his visionary leadership. He expressed admiration for the riders’ enthusiasm and determination to cover the long distance from Pune to Delhi on bikes to spread the message of Dr. Kurien’s contribution in the dairy sector along with Amul’s commitment to promoting sustainability, clean energy, and the legacy of cooperatives.
The rally continues to gain momentum as it moves forward towards Delhi, engaging with local communities and cooperatives along the way. Amul along with celebrating National Milk Day wants to be an active participant in promoting circular economy and the benefits of clean fuel in the lives of farmers.
