Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: India is the world’s largest producer of milk, accounting for 25 per cent of the global output. As the sector continues to expand, digital tools are playing an increasingly crucial role in improving productivity, transparency, and farmer welfare.
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) has been at the forefront of this transformation, developing digital platforms that connect farmers, cooperatives, and stakeholders across the dairy value chain. These initiatives aim to modernise operations, reduce inefficiencies, and enhance traceability, ultimately strengthening the world’s largest dairy ecosystem.
Bharat Pashudhan
The National Digital Livestock Mission, implemented by the NDDB in collaboration with the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, represents a major step towards a unified digital livestock ecosystem called ‘Bharat Pashudhan’.
To enhance data-driven livestock management, the Bharat Pashudhan database records field activities such as breeding, artificial insemination, health services, vaccination, and treatment, with over 84 crore transactions logged. Field personnel, including veterinarians and extension workers, assist farmers in accessing this system. The NDLM uses digital tools such as unique animal identification, data integration, and mobile applications to empower farmers and improve productivity. It aims to ensure every animal in India has a digital identity, linking it to health records and productivity data.
In line with the international practices a unique 12-digit bar coded Tag ID in the form of ear tag is being issued to all livestock animals. This unique code has been named as ‘Pashu Aadhar’, and it acts as a primary key for registering all types of transactions done on the animals such as vaccination, breeding, treatment, etc.. Till November 2025, over 35.68 crore Pashu Aadhaar tags have been generated.
Automatic collection
At the heart of India’s cooperative dairy model is the daily milk collection from millions of farmers. To make this process transparent, efficient, and farmer-friendly, the NDDB has developed the automatic milk collection system (AMCS), a robust, integrated software platform for managing every aspect of operations at dairy cooperative societies (DCS). AMCS automates milk collection by digitally recording each transaction, including quantity, quality, and fat content, and instantly transferring payments to farmers’ bank accounts.
Using open-source technology, the system ensures traceability, eliminates manual errors, and promotes transparency at every level. Farmers receive real-time SMS updates on their daily sales and payments, while cooperatives gain access to data-driven insights for better procurement and production planning. The system is integrated at union, federation, and national levels, connecting with financial institutions and providing mobile-based key informatics for all stakeholders.
Resource planning
The NDDB Dairy ERP (NDERP) is a comprehensive, web-based enterprise resource planning system developed and customised specifically for the dairy and edible oil industries. Built on an open-source platform (Frappe ERPNext), it eliminates the need for any software installation and can be accessed seamlessly through a computer or mobile device.
It is also available on Android and iOS for distributors, offering a complete and cost-effective solution without proprietary or recurring licensing fees. The iNDERP portal (https://inderp.nddb. coop) is an online platform for distributors integrated with NDERP. It enables them to manage orders, delivery challans, invoices, and payments efficiently