Staff Reporter –
India celebrates 26 November, birth anniversary of Dr Verghese Kurien, the father of India’s milk revolution, as the National Milk Day. The dairy cooperative movement inspired by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel led to the formation of Amul in 1946, which was replicated across the country, resulting in India emerging as the largest producer of milk in the world.
Amul, along with its pioneering role in spreading the milk revolution, is now championing the circular economy with its BioCNG project to generate fuel from cow-dung. This initiative not only provides farmers with an additional income source but also offers clean fuel and organic fertiliser, thus reducing reliance on fossil fuels and contributing to a cleaner environment. By setting up multiple BioCNG plants for processing dung, it aims to bring in positive and sustainable impact on both agricultural and energy sectors.
To spread awareness of clean fuel and sustainability, Amul is organizing a series of four mega Clean Fuel Rallies across India as part of National Milk Day celebrations. The rallies, powered by Maruti Suzuki and Bajaj Auto, aim to raise awareness of the circular economy while honouring the legacy of India’s dairy cooperatives.
Amul Clean Fuel Rallies will collectively cover over 5,000 km, starting from four key locations across India: Himmatnagar in Gujarat, Kolkata, Pune, and Jammu to culminate in New Delhi on November 26th at the National Milk Day Celebration organized by the Ministry of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Government of India. This coincides with the event organized by International Cooperative Alliance (ICA) to officially declare the year 2025 as ‘International Year of Cooperatives’. The conference, themed
“Cooperatives Build Prosperity for All”, will be attended by global leaders, academics and practitioners. A special screening of Amul’s national award winning film Manthanis also organized at the ICA Global Conference in Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on November 26th.
The Kolkata Rally was flagged off in the esteemed presence of Mr. Ranjit Singh, Executive Vice President of Sustainability at Maruti Suzuki, and Mr. Manoranjan Pani, Chief General Manager of GCCMF (Amul), at Eco Park in Kolkata on 18th Nov.
This rally starting from Kolkata will cover the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, travelling around 2000 kms. 24 participants from Amul team riding in Maruti Suzuki Bio CNGcars will engage with farmers, dairy cooperatives, and local communities spreading awareness about Dr. Kurien’s contribution to the dairy industry. This will also be an opportunity for Amul to celebrate the success of institutes where Amul Model was replicated across several sectors in India.
On the occasion of the Amul Clean Fuel Rally flag off event, Mr. Kenichiro Toyofuku, Managing Officer Suzuki Motor Corporation remarked, “Maruti Suzuki is joining forces with Amul for 2nd edition of Clean Fuel Rally to promote Clean Fuel Vehicles among people to help reduce carbon emissions.
Bio-CNG is the best option for India to achieve carbon neutral vehicles and rural development simultaneously. Bio-CNG is better than EV from the viewpoint of global warming and enriching farmers through sale of cow-dung and soil with organic fertilizer generated as by product from Bio-CNG plants.
Suzuki is in the process of implementing 4 Bio-CNG plants in Gujarat in partnership with Amul affiliated dairy and planning to expand this initiative further.”
Mr. Manoranjan Pani, Chief General Manager of GCCMF (Amul), addressed the gathering at the event, saying, ““Amul has always been committed to empowering farmers and promoting sustainable practices. This rally will honour Dr. Kurien’s legacy and serve as a reminder of the potential of cooperatives in building a sustainable future for India. We are proud to lead this initiative and celebrate the cooperative model’s contribution to a greener, more prosperous world.”