To strengthen Assam’s dairy infrastructure, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone for the expansion of the Purabi Dairy processing facility in Panjabari. The ₹104 crore project—under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between West Assam Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union Ltd (WAMUL) and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB)—will double the plant’s milk processing capacity from 1.5 lakh litres per day (LLPD) to 3 LLPD.
Calling it a strategic step in making Assam self-reliant in dairy, the Chief Minister said,
“This expansion not only widens market access for dairy farmers but also bolsters nutritional security for our citizens. I commend NDDB and Purabi Dairy for strengthening the state’s dairy ecosystem.”
The announcement marks a milestone under the Assam Dairy Development Plan (ADDP), which aims to scale the state’s formal milk processing infrastructure to 10 LLPD. Operated by WAMUL under the Purabi Dairy brand, the Panjabari plant is currently the largest dairy processing unit in Northeast India.
NDDB Chairman and WAMUL head Dr. Meenesh Shah said the expansion demonstrates the “power of cooperative enterprise” and reflects long-term planning to meet rising consumer demand.
“The new facility will not only support a growing dairy network by improving milk collection and processing, but also introduce new product lines like ice cream and value-added dairy goods.”
The upgraded facility will:
· Raise pasteurized pouch milk output from 1.15 LLPD to 2.0 LLPD
· Add a new ice cream manufacturing line with a 20 thousand litres per day (TLPD) capacity, scalable to 30 TLPD
· Introduce facilities for additional dairy products totalling 70 TLPD
The project follows the earlier World Bank-funded APART initiative, which had boosted the plant’s capacity from 60,000 litres to 1.5 lakh litres per day. Within just 18 months of that upgrade, the plant reached full capacity, prompting the need for the current expansion.
This development comes on the heels of the Advantage Assam 2.0 Summit held earlier this year, where the MoU was signed. The investment reinforces Assam’s commitment to enhancing rural livelihoods and integrating local producers into the formal dairy value chain.
The state government and NDDB hope that the enhanced infrastructure will not only stabilise milk prices but also attract more farmers into dairy production by ensuring timely procurement, technical support, and robust cold chain systems.
The expanded Purabi Dairy facility is set to be a cornerstone in Assam’s dairy future—delivering increased milk availability, new product categories, and rural economic upliftment. With policy momentum and cooperative strength backing the project, it’s a clear signal of Assam’s ambition to become a dairy powerhouse in the eastern region.