By integrating biogas plants, solar-powered dairy operations, and efficient milk collection systems, farmers can reduce input costs, improve soil health, access clean cooking fuel, and gain new income opportunities through organic fertiliser.
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Bangalore-based Sustain Plus Energy Foundation have partnered to set up 10,000 biogas plants over the next four years in 15 states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Bihar. This initiative will scale circular solutions in India’s dairy sector through dairy cooperatives by driving large-scale biogas adoption and optimising manure/gobar value chains.
The initiative was unveiled at the ‘Workshop on Sustainability and Circularity in Dairy Sector’ in New Delhi in the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah. On this occasion, an MoU between NDDB and NABARD was signed to promote sustainable and inclusive growth in the dairy sector. To set up biogas plants, NDDB has signed MoUs with 26 milk unions across 15 states. Comprehensive guidelines aimed at sustainability in the dairy sector were released, along with the launch of financing initiatives under NDDB’s Small-Scale Biogas, Large-Scale Biogas/Compressed Biogas projects, and the NDDB Sustain Plus Project for financing sustainable dairying interventions.
Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah urged the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) to scale up its cow dung-based biogas generation models across 250 district dairy cooperatives within the next two years. He emphasized the need to harness the full economic potential of dairy farming to ensure better farmer incomes and drive India’s second White Revolution.
Shah highlighted that sustainability and circularity should not be limited to cow dung-based biogas generation but must extend to all aspects of the dairy economy. He suggested cooperatives should also address animal health and nutrition, even for livestock outside the cooperative dairy network.
The setting of 10,000 biogas plants is expected to generate approximately 3 lakh tonnes of organic slurry annually, improving soil fertility and reducing dependency on chemical fertilizers. Additionally, these digesters will produce over 7 million cubic meters of biogas yearly, providing clean cooking fuel to rural households.
The program will also enable the production of nearly 60,000 tonnes of phosphate-rich organic Manure (PROM) annually, replacing an equivalent amount of chemical phosphate fertilizers. By converting organic waste into clean energy, farmers can reduce their dependence on fossil fuels, lower input costs, and build climate-resilient livelihoods.
This collaboration will be supported by new financing mechanisms from NDDB and NABARD’s green financing opportunities in the biogas ecosystem.
