The Chief Minister's Office of Odisha on Monday, June 1, 2026, announced that the state has set a target to more than double its milk production by 2036 as part of the broader Viksit Bharat vision for a developed India. Posting in Odia on X, the CMO stated: 'ବିକଶିତ ଭାରତରେ ବିକଶିତ ଓଡ଼ିଶା ପାଇଁ ୨୦୩୬ ସୁଦ୍ଧା ରାଜ୍ୟରେ ଦୁଗ୍ଧ ଉତ୍ପାଦନକୁ ଦୁଇଗୁଣରୁ ଊର୍ଦ୍ଧ୍ଵ କରିବାକୁ ଲକ୍ଷ୍ୟ ରହିଛି' — 'For a developed Odisha in a developed India, the target is to more than double milk production in the state by 2036.' To achieve this, the state government has launched the Mukhyamantri Kamadhenu Yojana and the Mukhyamantri Krishi Udyog Yojana, while providing financial assistance of Rs 326 crore to over 4 lakh gopalaks (cattle rearers) in the past two years.

Context

Odisha is an eastern Indian state with a large rural population heavily dependent on agriculture and allied activities, including livestock rearing. Dairy farming has traditionally been a supplementary income source for smallholder farmers in the state, but successive governments have sought to elevate it into a structured economic sector. The 2036 doubling target is framed explicitly within the national Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, which calls on states to contribute to food production and rural economy goals ahead of India's centenary of independence.

Policy Backdrop

The two flagship schemes driving this push have distinct roles. The Mukhyamantri Kamadhenu Yojana supports dairy farmers through cattle rearing assistance, breed improvement, and milk production enhancement. The Mukhyamantri Krishi Udyog Yojana promotes agri-entrepreneurship — including dairy-based enterprises — through subsidies and credit linkages, aiming to turn smallholder farmers into rural entrepreneurs. These state-level interventions build on a longer national policy lineage. The Rashtriya Gokul Mission, launched by the Government of India in 2014, focused on conserving indigenous breeds and boosting milk output across states. Before that, Operation Flood, initiated in 1970, established India's dairy cooperative model and achieved national milk self-sufficiency by the 1990s. Odisha's current push draws on both the cooperative spirit of that era and the targeted subsidy model of more recent central missions.

Stakeholders and Impact

The most direct beneficiaries are the over 4 lakh gopalaks who have already received financial assistance under the state's schemes in the past two years. Rural households across Odisha that maintain cattle as a secondary livelihood stand to gain from improved breed quality, better market linkages, and direct cash support. A successful doubling of milk output would also strengthen nutritional security in a state where per-capita milk consumption has historically lagged national averages. Dairy-based entrepreneurs supported under the Mukhyamantri Krishi Udyog Yojana represent a second tier of stakeholders who could benefit from formalised supply chains and processing infrastructure.

What's Next

The Fisheries and Animal Resources Development department of Odisha is expected to publish annual milk production statistics that will serve as the primary benchmark for measuring progress toward the 2036 target. Periodic scheme implementation reviews will determine whether the pace of financial disbursement and breed improvement is on track. If the current trajectory holds, Odisha could emerge as a significant contributor to eastern India's dairy economy — a region that has long been overshadowed by the dairy belts of Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana. The state's ability to sustain funding and institutional support beyond election cycles will be the key variable to watch.