PM Modi to inaugurate ₹325-crore cattle breeding centre in Banaskantha on Oct 30
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC) at Bhildi in Banaskantha district, Gujarat, on 30 October 2026 — a ₹325-crore facility designed to enhance the genetic quality of indigenous cattle and buffalo breeds and boost milk production across rural India. Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi inspected the venue on Tuesday to review event preparations ahead of the prime ministerial visit.
What the BBBRC Is and What It Will Do
Developed by Banas Dairy across 127 acres, the BBBRC will deploy advanced reproductive technologies — including ovum pick-up and in-vitro fertilisation (OPU-IVF) and embryo transfer — to multiply animals carrying desirable genetic traits. The facility is designed to produce 25,000 high-quality embryos annually, making it one of the largest such centres in the country.
The centre has been built with technical guidance from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and financial support from the Centre's Rashtriya Gokul Mission. It will focus on indigenous cattle breeds including Kankrej, Gir, Sahiwal and Tharparkar, as well as buffalo breeds such as Mehsani, Banni, Jaffarabadi and Murrah.
Inspection and Official Remarks
Sanghavi inspected the programme venue alongside Legislative Assembly Speaker and Banas Dairy Chairman Shankar Chaudhary, and issued instructions to officials on arrangements for the event. In a post on social media platform X, Sanghavi said: 'As Gujarat's beloved son, the Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi is visiting Gujarat; extensive preparations are under way for the programme to be held at Bhildi in Banaskantha. As part of these preparations, I inspected the venue along with the Honourable Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Shankar Chaudhary, and issued necessary instructions to the officials concerned.'
Chaudhary cited the initiative as a fulfilment of the Prime Minister's rural income vision. 'Our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, envisioned increasing the income of rural livestock farmers by improving per-cattle productivity. He resolved to use science in breeding and animal development to achieve this on a mass scale. That vision is now being realised here in the form of BBBRC,' he said.
Why It Matters for Farmers
The initiative is specifically aimed at helping farmers obtain higher milk yields from fewer animals — a pressing concern as fodder availability tightens and livestock maintenance costs rise. Chaudhary indicated the objective is to shift focus towards better-quality, more productive animals rather than expanding herd sizes. The benefits, however, will depend on successful adoption of both the breeding technologies and improved animal management practices at the farm level.
Notably, this comes at a time when India's dairy sector faces increasing pressure on rural incomes, and government-backed genetic improvement programmes under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission are being scaled up nationally. The BBBRC represents one of the largest single-facility investments in indigenous breed development.
Other Projects on the Agenda
The 30 October programme will extend beyond the BBBRC inauguration. Modi is also expected to inaugurate an automated storage and retrieval system at Banas Dairy's ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk plant in Palanpur, installed at a cost of ₹31.14 crore. Projects related to the expansion of Banas Dairy's potato processing facility at Sanadar and the proposed establishment of dung-based bio-CNG plants at Radhanpur and Tharad are also on the agenda.
The following day, on 31 October, Modi is scheduled to attend National Unity Day celebrations at Ekta Nagar in Narmada district, marking the 151st birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.