Verghese Kurien

Verghese Kurien (26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012), popularly known as the 'Father of the White Revolution' in India, was a social entrepreneur whose"billionlitre idea", Operation Flood, the world's largest agricultural dairy development programme, made dairy farming India's largest self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment provider. It made India the world's largest milk producer from a milk-deficient nation, which doubled milk available per person and increased milk output four-fold, in 30 years. He pioneered the 'Anand pattern' of dairy co-operatives to replicate it nationwide. Amul, his standalone co-operative became India's largest food brand, where no milk from a farmer was refused and 70–80% of the price by consumers went as cash to dairy farmers who controlled the marketing, the procurement and the processing of milk and milk products. A key invention at Amul, the world's first, was the production of milk powder from the abundant buffalo-milk, instead of from the conventional cow-milk, whivh was short in supply in India. He also made India self-sufficient in edible oils, taking on a powerful, entrenched and violently resistant oil supplying cartel. He was regarded as one of the greatest proponents of the cooperative movement in the world. Brands resulting from the Operation Flood - Dhara (Operation Golden Flow for cooking oils), Mother Dairy (Operation Flood) and Safal (for vegetables) are household names today. All the dairy majors of the country, along with the Indian Dairy Association, resolved to observe Kurien's birthday, November 26, as National Milk Day. 

Awards received:

 1963: Ramon Magsaysay Award by Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation 

 

1965: Padma Shri by Govt. of India 

1966: Padma Bhushan by Govt. of India 

1986: Wateler Peace Prize by Carnegie Foundation (Netherlands) 

Krishi Ratna by Govt. of India 

1999: Padma Vibhushan by Govt. of India 

1993: International Person of The Year by World Dairy   Expo