The combination of a steel milk pail and a power charger that can cool milk in 30 minutes has the potential to transform India's dairy industry. The nano fluid-based technology pail can hold seven litres of milk and refrigerate it in 30 minutes from 37°C to 7°C. Dairy technologist Ravi Prakash, who is pursuing a PhD at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI) in Bengaluru, aims to make the pail, which cost around Rs 9,000 in early prototype versions, more accessible. He spent nearly Rs 10 lakh on a system that cools raw milk from ambient temperature to below the critical limit, thanks to NDRI funding.
"Time is of the essence in keeping quality after milking because the farmer ferries it twice a day to the collection centre on its way to the chilling centre," adds Prakash. His upbringing as the son of a farmer in Harsari, Bihar's West Champaran district, and his education (a BTech degree from NDRI, Karnal) inspired him to create the pail prototype. In 2019, he was awarded the BRICS Young Innovator Prize, which includes a financial prize of $25,000. By mid-2023, he wants his innovation to be available to farmers for less than Rs 5,000.
"Economical yet high-tech developments, particularly in India's unorganised dairy farming sector, can improve farmers' lives."
The Indian Dairy Industry's Innovations and Advancements
Despite recent setbacks in the dairy business, the taste for and demand for dairy products is on the rise. Milk and dairy products are becoming increasingly popular, thanks to a growing middle class with more disposable cash, consumers seeking healthy options to fit in with a more active lifestyle, and an emphasis on natural ingredients.
In recent years, the Indian dairy industry has seen considerable technology improvements, including a machine learning platform developed by startup MooFarm to assist combat mastisis, a disease of the cow udder that costs the country half a billion dollars each year. MooFarm is working to provide on-call help for farmers and plans to have workers located in rural locations, thanks to a funding from Microsoft.
Big data is another area in which Indian corporations are investing, in addition to technical advancements to improve farming processes and the organisational supply chain. As companies like Doodhwala have realised, big data is essential for precisely predicting consumer behaviour and buying habits. Doodhwala launched a subscription-based milk delivery platform after noticing a trend among millennial consumers who prioritise convenience. They now deliver more over 30,000 litres of milk every day before 7 a.m. in Bengaluru, Pune, and Hyderabad.
