Verghese Kurien

About Verghese Kurien

Verghese Kurien, recognized as the Father of the White Revolution, transformed India from a milk-deficient nation into the world’s largest milk producer. Born on November 26, 1921, in Calicut, Madras Presidency, he earned an engineering degree before completing postgraduate studies at Michigan State University. In 1949, Kurien arrived in Anand, Gujarat, where he partnered with local farmers to spearhead the Kaira District Cooperative, later branded as Amul. He revolutionized the global dairy industry by developing groundbreaking methods to manufacture skim milk powder and condensed milk from buffalo milk. Recognizing the cooperative's massive potential, the Indian government appointed him to establish the National Dairy Development Board in 1965. Under his leadership, the board launched Operation Flood in 1970, creating a nationwide milk grid that empowered millions of smallholder dairy farmers. His visionary business model democratized rural wealth creation, placing economic autonomy and supply-chain control firmly into the hands of producers. Kurien’s pioneering legacy remains an enduring pillar of Indian self-reliance, forever cementing his status as an architect of modern agrarian empowerment.

Based on publicly available information.