India has the biggest milk industry of any country in the world, producing more than 180 million tons of milk in 2018. This is 22 percent of the world’s annual production, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, and more than all EU member countries produce in a year combined. Still, India’s dairy industry is growing at the fastest rate of any major producer. 5.6 percent growth compared to 2017 was well above the global annual growth rate of the industry of 2.2. percent.
While the EU, as well as the U.S., exports a lot of their products, India is not a major exporter of milk, showing a high domestic consumption. The Indian dairy market is in fact worth more than 9 trillion Rupees ($128 billion). On Nov 26, India celebrates its prolific dairy industry with National Milk Day, taking place on the birthday of the founder of ubiquitous dairy brand Amul, Verghese Kurien.
