Organized cooperative dairying has formally entered Assam’s Barak Valley with the inauguration of a renovated milk processing plant at Gungoor in Silchar, marking the expansion of Purabi Dairy into the region.
The facility was inaugurated by Krishnendu Paul, Assam’s Minister for Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, and is expected to bridge a longstanding gap in the availability of hygienically processed, branded milk in southern Assam.
The dairy plant, originally owned by the Animal Husbandry & Veterinary Department (AHVD), had remained defunct for several years before being handed over under the Assam Dairy Development Plan to North East Dairy and Foods Limited (NEDFL). NEDFL is a joint venture between the Government of Assam and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB).
The facility has been renovated and upgraded to a processing capacity of 20,000 litres per day. The work was completed in less than 10 months by IDMC Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of NDDB.
With the commissioning of the plant, consumers in Silchar and surrounding areas will now have access to fresh pouch milk under the Purabi brand, ensuring standardized and quality-assured supply in the Barak Valley.
Addressing dairy farmers and officials at the event, Minister Krishnendu Paul said the plant’s inauguration aligns with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s vision of building a self-reliant and farmer-centric dairy ecosystem in Assam. He noted that the state aims to scale up milk processing capacity to 10 lakh litres per day through balanced regional expansion.
“This facility will ensure hygienically processed milk for consumers while creating assured procurement channels and stable income opportunities for local dairy farmers,” Paul said, adding that the government remains committed to strengthening dairy infrastructure and farmer institutions.
Kaushik Rai described the commissioning as a historic step for Barak Valley, which despite its dairy potential had remained outside the organized cooperative dairy network until now.
NDDB Chairman Dr Meenesh Shah said the plant would pave the way for establishing a producer organization to strengthen milk procurement systems in the region. NDDB Dairy Services (NDS) will support local farmers and assist in setting up a producer organization under the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM) and the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM).
NEDFL has invested ₹10 crore in renovating and operationalising the plant, with financial assistance from NDDB and the Animal Husbandry Infrastructure Development Fund (AHIDF) of the Government of India. NDDB also provided initial capital support of ₹2 crore to kick-start milk procurement activities in the region.
The launch of the Silchar plant is expected to boost organized milk procurement in Barak Valley, create sustainable livelihood opportunities for dairy farmers, and strengthen the rural dairy economy of southern Assam.