The dairy complex, coming up at Sankrail Food Park in Howrah, will have the capacity to process around 30 lakh litres of milk every day.
Photo: IANS/File
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday laid the foundation stone for the Amul Bengal Dairy Project, a Rs 700-crore integrated dairy facility in Howrah that is set to become the world’s largest curd production plant.
The project is expected to significantly strengthen West Bengal’s dairy infrastructure while benefiting over 1.25 lakh dairy farmers across the state.
Advertisement
Shah virtually inaugurated the project from the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in New Town in the presence of West Bengal chief minister Suvendu Adhikari, senior officials of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which markets dairy products under the Amul brand, and members of the state cabinet.
Advertisement
Addressing the gathering, Shah said the project would generate substantial employment opportunities while strengthening the rural economy through the cooperative model.
“Expanding the cooperative movement was essential for ensuring sustainable income for milk producers and enhancing the country’s dairy ecosystem. The project is an important step towards rural development and agricultural value addition,” the home minister said.
New Town, West Bengal: Union Home Minister Amit Shah says, "I have also told Suvendu ji that I will provide land here for improving the breed quality of livestock. The Government of India is going to set up a major initiative in this area, which will help increase milk production… pic.twitter.com/WZfjSLSZ8V
— IANS (@ians_india) July 19, 2026
The dairy complex, coming up at Sankrail Food Park in Howrah, will have the capacity to process around 30 lakh litres of milk every day.
According to an official statement, the facility will produce nearly 1,000 tonnes of curd and other cultured dairy products daily, making it the largest curd manufacturing plant in the world upon completion.
Sweet curd, one of Bengal’s most popular dairy products, will be a major focus of production, while a wide range of other dairy products will also be manufactured and supplied across the country.
The project is being developed as part of efforts to expand dairy infrastructure, strengthen value-added milk processing and enhance the cooperative dairy network in the state.
The official statement said the initiative is expected to benefit more than 1.25 lakh dairy farmers, including over 30,000 women milk producers, by providing them with a stable market for milk and improving procurement systems.
Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari termed the project the beginning of the second phase of the “Amul revolution” in West Bengal and described it as the state’s “white revolution”.
“The dairy project would provide local cattle rearers and milk producers with better market access, assured procurement and improved economic opportunities.
We have plans to connect lakhs of dairy farmers with the cooperative network linked to the project. This would benefit 3.6 million cattle rearers directly or indirectly after the plant becomes operational,” the chief minister said.
Stressing that strong cooperatives are essential for rural economic growth, he said the initiative would help strengthen the financial condition of farming households.
Adhikari also announced that another Amul dairy project would be established in North Bengal to further expand milk procurement and dairy processing capacity.
He urged Amul to consider setting up an ice cream manufacturing unit in the state in the coming years.
Without naming the previous state government, the Chief Minister said the new project reflected West Bengal’s improving industrial climate and signalled the beginning of a new phase of industrial development.
Among those present at the programme were Industries Minister Tapas Roy, Cooperation Minister Ashok Kirtania, Finance Minister Swapan Dasgupta, Health Minister Dr. Sharadwat Mukhopadhyay and Chief Secretary Manoj Agarwal, besides senior officials of GCMMF and the state government.
Advertisement
