The story dates back to 1946. Polson Dairy, a locally owned dairy in Gujarat became a source of trouble as they started procuring milk from farmers at very low prices to sell in Mumbai. They had obtained the rights from the government to do so. A group of angered farmers led by Tribhuvandas K. Patel approached Sardar Vallabhai Patel with complaints. Their strikes resulted in the establishment of Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union to collect and process milk.
Dr. Varghese Kurien changed the way the cooperative functioned. He joined the cooperative after returning from Michigan State University. Kurien’s friend H.M. Dalaya developed a method for making skimmed milk powder from buffalo milk. This was the first of its kind in the world. Kurien helped in commercializing the new milk powder that became a competitor of established brands. The first modern dairy was set up in Anand and was known as Amul- Anand Milk Union Limited. Amul grew and their product line expanded to include canned milk, butter, cheese, bread spreads and ice creams. Amul is now a strong presence in more than 50 countries.
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