India has an enormous wealth of cattle, which is crucial to the development of the socioeconomic status of millions of rural households as well as the country's economy. In addition to giving millions of people access to low-cost nutritious food, this industry plays a significant role in boosting family incomes and creating gainful employment in rural areas, notably among landless laborers, small and marginal farmers, and the women. The introduction of dairying has been beneficial for dairy producers and particularly significant for those societal groups that have historically been weak.

The world’s largest population of milch cattle lives in India. In 2020, there were almost 906 million tones of milk produced worldwide, with India being the top producer with a 22 percent share. Annual Growth Rate of milk production in 2019-20 in India was 5.69 per cent. Highest growth rate in milk production was found to be 14.31 per cent in Karnataka. In 2021, the Indian dairy market had a value of INR 13,174 billion.

India has an enormous wealth of cattle, which is crucial to the development of the socioeconomic status of millions of rural households as well as the country’s economy. In addition to giving millions of people access to lowcost nutritious food, this industry plays a significant role in boosting family incomes and creating gainful employment in rural areas, notably among landless laborers, small and marginal farmers, and women.

All across the world, the dairy industry is facing numerous problems and changes. Dairy development has received a considerable boost from factors including access to technical advancements, improvements in infrastructural facilities, and the development of modern marketing insights. It is interesting to see how the dairy sector is changing globally.

In India, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOH&FW), dealing with the subject of food quality and safety at the national level, has been designated the nodal ministry for maintaining food standards. The instrument for ensuring food quality and safety at the national level is through a legislation titled Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 (PFA) and Rules made there under as amended from time-to-time.

The world’s greatest source of cow and buffalo diversity is India, and countries like Australia, South Africa, Latin America, and the USA employ Indian cattle breeds to grow their livestock industries. The number of cattle in the nation represents 17% of all cattle in the world. 22-25% of the Indian cow population is made up of the best native milk, draught, and dual-purpose animal genetics. The majority of local cattle breeds are excellent drafters. Native livestock breeds are clearly superior in their use of subpar feed, have better heat tolerance, and greater resistance to tropical diseases.

India is home to an enormous number of buffalo. According to the 20th Livestock Census, more than 109 million buffaloes, or more than 56% of the world’s population, are living in India. With 20 recognized breeds, it also has a very diverse collection of buffalo genetics. One of the most well-known buffalo breeds in the world, the Murrah, is also found in India. The buffalo is a versatile animal that can be used for milk, meat, and draught. India is the world leader in this industry, producing 76% of the world’s buffalo milk.

Dairy farmers are faced with a number of fundamental inquiries. The first inquires as to what dairy animal he needs to keep. Is the breed with the best production performance the one that has adapted to the local environment the most? What animal is the best, asks the second? Is it the one with a showwinning conformation or the one with a strong ancestry? Is the ideal dairy cow one that produces the most milk, has the best feet, legs, and udder support, or combines the performance of these characteristics in the best possible way?

Herd management practices in the handling, nutrition, milking techniques, sanitation, and housing of dairy animals play key roles in predisposing the individual animal as well as herds to diseases. The key factor influencing the reduction of health issues are the decisions made by herd managers or animal owners.In order to maximize output and profitability through disease control, herd management approaches in conjunction with a veterinarian programme can be most beneficial.

The proper supply of feed and fodder is a requirement for the growth and development of the animals. Over the past few decades, there has been a considerable growth in milk production, with India now producing the most milk in the world (187.7 million tones in 2018–19). The main causes of India’s low milk yield are extrinsic (poor nutrition/feed management) as well as intrinsic (low genetic potential).

In terms of their contribution to human nutrition, the dairy industry is very important. Since dairy farming has the ability to offer meaningful selfemployment and stable income, it is a dependable source of subsistence for the rural poor. Additionally, it requires less labour and cash to maintain. Dairy cattle feeding directly affect the animals’ ability to reproduce and produce. Therefore, the addition of a mineral mixture is necessary to maximize the animal’s productivity and milk output.

For the purpose of passing into the lower gastrointestinal tract and supplying the cow with vital amino acids, dairy bypass protein (UDP – undegraded protein) is a type of animal or plant-based protein that resists breakdown in the rumen. More metabolizable protein is made available by avoiding the rumen, assisting the cow in meeting her needs for amino acids for milk production and its constituent parts.

Dietary fat, which is not degraded in upper part of digestive tract (rumen) of animal, but gets digested in lower alimentary tract is known as bypass fat. Rumen protected fat is another name for this bypass fat. Immediately following calving, dairy animals lose a significant amount of energy through milk, although their feed intake is decreased. Animals continue to have negative energy balances as a result.

By minimizing the harsh climate effects like heat, cold and rain, it is crucial to offer the proper circumstances for raising dairy cows in the tropics. Stress can be reduced through the design of the farm and the dwelling. Controlling the environment lowers the risk of stress and disease, improves management, and increases milk production.

Dairy farmers hope to have better milking cows than those in their current herds. A solid foundation is necessary for every farming operation. Undoubtedly, the dairy farm documentation system is among the most important facets of farm management. Tracking each cow’s productivity within a herd and assisting breed development generally are the major objectives of a dairy farm tracking system. This information could be referred to as production data.

Animals need to function efficiently during reproduction in order for a dairy production system to be sustainable. This is necessary to produce milk, the primary product of interest, as well as to supply replacement animals. From the perspective of reproduction, delayed puberty, lengthy calving intervals, limited productive lives, and high calf mortality are the key variables that cause economic losses. Reproductive management’s proportionate contribution to the effectiveness of dairy production systems varies greatly.

Letting the cow to release its milk so the dairy farmer can extract it for personal use or to sell is the procedure of milking. Consequently, it is not totally a natural process. The natural process must be manipulated by the dairy farmer to his advantage. Therefore, in order to control the natural process, one must first understand it. The process of producing milk from blood-derived basic materials by alveolar cells and storing it in the alveolar cavity is known as milk secretion. Only when the alveolar cavity is full and the pressure on the alveolar cells prevents further secretion does this continuous process come to an end.

Operation Flood and dairy cooperatives became India’s greatest rural employment programme, enabling the modernization of the dairy industry to a point from where it may take off to fulfill the need for milk and milk products within the nation as well as chances on the international market. An unorganized sector handles 80% of the milk a rural producer produces, and an organized sector handles the remaining 20%. It has been discovered that dairy cooperatives significantly contribute to reducing rural poverty by increasing rural milk production and marketing.

The cradle-to-grave dairy supply chain includes a number of operations that result in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions related to milk production. These activities broadly include the use of agricultural inputs like fertilizers, fossil fuel for the production of animal feed and fodder, processing concentrates in cattle feed plants, enteric fermentation, manure management, and post farm gate activities like processing milk at dairy cooperative societies, milk unions, its conversion into different milk products, and their distribution through retail supply chains.

The Indian economy, which meets its own dairy demands, has reached a turning point with its bovine breeding initiatives. The viability of this enterprise, however, depends largely on completing as many successful artificial insemination cycles at a cattle farm. Estrus behaviour observation is used to determine when artificial insemination should take place. But since not all cattle exhibit substantial estrus symptoms, insemination results are not always reliable. An estrus detecting instrument known as an Electronic Nose (eNose) is created to address these issues.

A AGMARK Standards 20 Amino acids 99, 100, 101 Amritmahal 24 Anoestrus 121, 122, 125 Anthrax 67, 72 Arthritis 67, 68 Artificial insemination 11, 16, 62, 66, 68, 122, 124, 126, 127, 128, 129, 130, 133, 149, 150, 151