Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has entered into a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to strengthen collaboration in multidisciplinary research, innovation, and capacity building across the dairy sector.

The partnership will cover the entire dairy value chain, including production, processing, and value addition, with a strong focus on empowering millions of dairy farmers across the country. The MoU aims to synergise ICAR’s scientific and research capabilities with NDDB’s extensive field-level experience and institutional strength to address emerging challenges at the grassroots level.

The MoU was signed by Raghavendra Bhatta, Deputy Director General (Animal Science), ICAR, and S. Regupathi, Executive Director (Operations), NDDB, in the presence of Mangi Lal Jat, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, ICAR, and Meenesh Shah, Chairman, NDDB.

Addressing the gathering, Mangi Lal Jat highlighted the need to break institutional silos through complementary research and stressed the importance of integrated farming systems. He said the collaboration would help tackle key challenges such as climate resilience, low productivity, and value chain development. He also emphasised initiatives such as adoption of gaushalas, sustainable manure management, biogas utilisation, and the critical role of fodder in improving livestock productivity, driven by innovations from ICAR institutes.

Meenesh Shah said the partnership could evolve into one of the world’s largest platforms for integrated scientific collaboration, aligned with the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’. He noted NDDB’s past collaborations with ICAR on initiatives such as ration balancing, mineral mapping, and total mixed ration programmes, and highlighted future opportunities in areas like ethno-veterinary medicine and scalable models across diverse agro-climatic zones. He also pointed to potential cooperation across value chains of milk, milk products, fruits and vegetables, oilseeds, and fodder.

The MoU places strong emphasis on knowledge sharing, technology development and validation, human resource development, and joint training programmes for researchers, professionals, and farmers. The collaboration is expected to facilitate effective translation of research outcomes into practical, field-level solutions, enhancing productivity, profitability, and sustainability in the dairy sector.

Senior officials and representatives from both ICAR and NDDB were present at the event.