Verghese Kurien: Difference between revisions

What links here Related changes Page information Get shortened URL
Created by ImportMaster
Last edited March 10, 2026
VisualWikitext
robot: import pages using Special:Import
 
fixed content per sources for clarity
 
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Indian entrepreneur (1921–2012)}}
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}
{{short description|Indian entrepreneur}}
{{Infobox person
{{Infobox person
<!--NOTE: please add the title "Dr" to his name: see [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style (biographies)#Academic titles]]-->| honorific_prefix  = '''Father of White Revolution in India'''
<!--NOTE: please add the title "Dr" to his name: see [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style (biographies)#Academic titles]]-->
| honorific_prefix  =
| name              = Verghese Kurien
| name              = Verghese Kurien
| honorific_suffix  = [[Padma Vibhushan|PV]], [[Padma Bhushan|PB]], [[Padma Shri|PS]], [[Order of Agricultural Merit|OAM]]
| honorific_suffix  =
| image              =  
| image              = File:Verghese Kurien in 2009 (cropped).jpg
| image_upright      = 0.75
| caption            = Kurien in 2009
| image_upright      =
| birth_date        = {{birth date|df=yes|1921|11|26}}
| birth_date        = {{birth date|df=yes|1921|11|26}}
| birth_place        = [[Calicut]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]] (now [[Kozhikode district|Kozhikode]], [[Kerala]], India)
| birth_place        = [[Calicut]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]] (now [[Kozhikode]], [[Kerala]], India)
| death_date        = {{death date and age |2012|09|09|1921|11|26|df=yes}}
| death_date        = {{death date and age|2012|09|09|1921|11|26|df=yes}}
| death_place        = [[Nadiad]], [[Gujarat]], India
| death_place        = [[Nadiad]], [[Gujarat]], India
| alma_mater        = {{ubl|[[University of Madras]]|[[Michigan State University]]}}
| alma_mater        = {{ubl|[[University of Madras]]|[[Michigan State University]]}}
| occupation        = General Manager and later chairman, AMUL, Chairman – NDDB (National Dairy Development Board) and IRMA (Institute of Rural Management, Anand, Bombay province (later Bombay state and now in Gujarat, India))
| known_for          = [[White Revolution (India)|White Revolution in India]]
| caption            = Dr. Verghese Kurien
| occupation        = [[dairying|dairy engineer]] <br> [[social entrepreneur]]
| other_names        = Father of the White Revolution of India<ref name="Times">{{cite web|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-09/india/33713090_1_verghese-kurien-father-of-white-revolution-milk-powder |title=Father of white revolution Verghese Kurien dies |work=The Times of India |access-date=9 September 2012}}</ref><br/>Milkman of India. Indian Milk Man
| employer          = [[Amul]]
| awards            = [[World Food Prize]] (1989) <br /> [[Order of Agricultural Merit]] (1997) <br /> [[Padma Vibhushan]] (1999) <br /> [[Padma Bhushan]] (1966) <br /> [[Padma Shri]] (1965) <br /> [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] (1964)
| organisation      = {{Plainlist|
* [[National Dairy Development Board]]
* [[Institute of Rural Management Anand]]
* National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India}}
| awards            = [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] (1964) <br /> [[Padma Shri]] (1965) <br /> [[Padma Bhushan]] (1966) <br /> [[World Food Prize]] (1989) <br /> [[Order of Agricultural Merit]] (1997) <br /> [[Padma Vibhushan]] (1999)
| homepage          = {{URL|http://www.drkurien.com/}}
| homepage          = {{URL|http://www.drkurien.com/}}
}}
'''Verghese Kurien''' (26 November 1921 -  9 September 2012), known as the "Father of the [[White Revolution (India)|White Revolution]]" in India,<ref name="Kurien Reference2">{{cite news |title=Verghese Kurien on Google Doodle for National Milk Day |url=https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/google-doodle-honours-dr-verghese-kurien-on-national-milk-day-1247783 |access-date=10 March 2021 |publisher=NDTV Food |date=26 November 2015 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=1989: Dr. Verghese Kurien|url=http://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/laureates/19871999_laureates/1989_kurien/|publisher=(World Food Prize Foundation)|access-date=13 September 2012}}</ref> was a social entrepreneur whose "billion-litre idea", [[Operation Flood]],<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/xmTieI_ry1o Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20120909185656/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmTieI_ry1o&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web|title=1989 Laureate: Verghese Kurien|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmTieI_ry1o|publisher= World Food Prize Foundation (1989-7m 47s)}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name='Katar'>{{cite book |last=Singh |first=Katar |title=Rural Development: Principles, Policies and Management |year=1999 |pages=201 |publisher=SAGE |location=New Delhi |isbn=81-7036-773-5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-wXsRWxpjPAC&pg=PA201}}</ref> made [[dairy farming]] India's largest self-sustaining industry and the largest rural employment sector providing a third of all rural income.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pendleton |last2=Narayanan |first1=Andrew |first2=Pradeep |title=The white revolution : milk in India |work=Taking liberties: poor people, free trade and trade justice |page=35 |publisher=Christian Aid |access-date=11 September 2012 |url = http://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/the_global_dimension/teaching_resources/trade/Taking%20liberties%20-%20Poor%20people,%20free%20trade%20and%20trade%20justice.pdf}}</ref> It made India the world's largest milk producer, doubled the milk available for each person, and increased milk output four-fold in 30 years.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kurien|first=Verghese|title=Ending Poverty in South Asia: Ideas that work|year=2007|publisher=(The World Bank)|location=Washington D.C., USA|isbn=978-0-8213-6876-3|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IV9m8gF6XDcC&pg=PA52|chapter=India' s Milk Revolution: Investing in Rural Producer Organizations|editor=Narayan, Deepa |editor2=Glinskaya, Elena|access-date=11 September 2012|page=52}}</ref>
He pioneered the [[Anand Milk Union Limited|Anand]] model of dairy [[Cooperative|cooperatives]] and replicated it nationwide, based on various "top-down" and "bottom-up" approaches, where no milk from a farmer was refused and 70–80% of the price by consumers was paid in cash to dairy farmers who controlled the marketing, procurement, and processing of milk and milk products as the dairy's owners.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://forbesindia.com/printcontent/41207|title=Cow to consumer: Beyond profit for Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation|last=Ajwani|first=Deepak|date=6 October 2015|publisher=Forbes India Magazine|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.economist.com/node/21563260/|title=Verghese Kurien|date=22 September 2012|newspaper=The Economist|issn=0013-0613|access-date=27 August 2016}}</ref>  An invention at [[Amul]] was the production of milk powder from buffalo milk instead of from cow milk, which was in short supply in India.<ref name="DalayaNews">{{cite news |last=Damodaran |first=Harish |title=Amul's tech wizard, Dalaya passes away |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2004/09/13/stories/2004091300610700.htm |access-date=10 September 2012 |newspaper=The Hindu Business Line |date=13 September 2004}}</ref><ref name="Heredia">{{cite book |last=Heredia |first=Ruth |title=The Amul India Story |year=1997 |publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-0-07-463160-7 |pages=112–115 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&pg=PA112}}</ref>
He also made India self-sufficient in edible oils and fought against the "oil kings", who used underhanded and violent methods to enforce their dominance over the oilseed industry.<ref name=":3">{{cite news|last=Aneja|first=R. P.|date=11 September 2012|title=Life and times of Verghese Kurien|newspaper=The Hindu Business Line|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/article3885542.ece|access-date=11 September 2012}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{Cite web|last=Singh|first=Chamder Uday|date=15 January 1982|title=Gujarat: Taking on the oil kings|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/bhavnagar-vegetableproducts-suffers-eight-mysterious-fires/1/391293.html|access-date=1 September 2016|website=India Today}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{Cite news|last=Jones|first=Clayton|date=30 July 1982|title=Farming co-ops poised to come of age in the '80s|newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|url=http://www.csmonitor.com/1982/0730/073063.html|access-date=1 September 2016|issn=0882-7729}}</ref>
==Early life and education==
Kurien was born on 26 November 1921 in [[Kozhikode]], [[Kerala]], as the son of civil surgeon Dr. P. K. Kurien, to an [[Anglican Syrian Christians|Anglican Syrian Christian]] family.<ref name="Biography">{{cite book |last1=Kamath |first1=M. V. |title=Milkman from Anand: The Story of Verghese Kurien |date=1996 |publisher=Konark Publishers |isbn=978-81-220-0413-7 |pages=3–5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HGjtAAAAMAAJ |language=en}}</ref><ref name="Autobiography">{{cite book |last1=Kurien |first1=Verghese |title=I Too Had a Dream |date=2012-12-27 |publisher=Roli Books Private Limited |isbn=978-81-7436-885-0 |page=56 |url=https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/I_Too_Had_a_Dream/O89bBAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PT56&printsec=frontcover |language=en |chapter=1. Early Years}}</ref> He attended school at [[Diamond Jubilee Higher Secondary School]], [[Gobichettipalayam]], in [[Coimbatore]] district (now [[Erode]] district, [[Tamil Nadu]]) while his father worked at the government hospital there.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.industrialeconomist.com/page.php?page=14&cid=602|title=Kurien visits Erode|last=Madhavan|first=Dr. E.|date=1 May 2014|publisher=Industrial Economist|access-date=26 November 2015}}</ref> He joined [[Loyola College, Chennai|Loyola College]] (an affiliated college of the [[University of Madras]]) at the age of 14, graduated in physics in 1940,<ref name="Kurien Reference1">{{cite news |title=Verghese Kurien: Father of the White Revolution |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/inspiring-lives/verghese-kurien-father-of-the-white-revolution/story-53Kkrt5QYRv9dqlGwGPkWN.html |access-date=10 March 2021 |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=16 December 2019 |language=en}}</ref> and received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the [[College of Engineering, Guindy]],<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/153870/college-engineering-guindy-chennai-news/|title=India's Oldest Engineering College Turns 225: 6 Alumni Who Have Made Guindy Proud!|publisher=The Better India|author=Vidya Raja|date=31 July 2018}}</ref> which at that time was also part of the [[University of Madras]], in 1943.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amul.com/m/dr-v-kurien|title=Dr V Kurien|publisher=Amul|access-date=26 November 2015}}</ref> His father died when he was 22 years old. Shortly afterwards, his maternal grand-uncle Cherian Matthai, took Kurien's family under his wings and brought them to his home in [[Trichur]].<ref name="Autobiography" /> He wanted to join the army as an engineer, but his mother persuaded him to join the Tata Steel Technical Institute, Jamshedpur,<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> on a recommendation by his uncle, who was a director with the Tatas, and from where he graduated in 1946. He soon wanted to disassociate with his uncle's sycophants.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/doodh-ka-doodh-kurien-style/article3889417.ece|title=Doodh ka doodh... Kurien style|last=Bhagat|first=Rasheeda|date=13 September 2012|website=BusinessLine|publisher=The Hindu|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref>
Kurien left and applied for a scholarship provided by the government of India, and chose to study dairy engineering. His uncle [[John Matthai]], the finance minister, refused to bail him out. He was sent to the Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry in Bangalore (now, National Dairy Research Institute, southern station, Bengaluru) where he spent nine months before being sent to America to study at [[Michigan State University]], on government scholarship.<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> He returned with a master's degree in mechanical engineering (metallurgy)<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> with a minor in nuclear physics in 1948.<ref name="Verghese Kurien life">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/world/asia/verghese-kurien-90-who-led-indias-milk-cooperatives-dies.html?_r=0|title=Verghese Kurien, Leader of India's Milk Cooperatives, Dies at 90|last=Yardley|first=William|date=10 September 2012|work=The New York Times|access-date=26 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="Verghese Kurien milkman">{{cite web|title=Dr Verghese Kurien – From mechanical engineer to milkman|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_dr-verghese-kurien-from-mechanical-engineer-to-milkman_1738927|access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref><ref name="Kurien white">{{cite web|title=The man who revolutionised white|website=[[The Hindu]]|url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article3878213.ece|access-date=26 October 2012}}</ref>
Later, he would say, "I was sent to study dairy engineering (on the only government scholarship left). I cheated a bit though,"<ref name=":1" /> and "studied metallurgical and nuclear engineering, disciplines likely to be of far greater use to my soon-to-be independent country and, quite frankly, to me."<ref>{{cite web|last=Obla|first=Vishvesh|title=Twenty-Second Convocation of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, May 23. 2000|url=http://forumhub.com/elit/4191.21724.10.34.45.html|work=Wings of Fire --> Responses|publisher=(Forum Hub)|access-date=11 September 2012}}</ref> dairying then, and to Australia, when he learned to set up the [[Amul]] dairy.<ref name=":2">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&pg=PA105|title=The Amul India Story|last=Heredia|first=Ruth|publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill|year=1997|isbn=978-0-07-463160-7|location=New Delhi|pages=105}}</ref>
===Turning point===
In 1949, Kurien was sent by the government of India to its run-down, experimental creamery at [[Anand, Gujarat|Anand]], Bombay province (later Bombay state and now part of Gujarat state since 1960) to serve five years as an officer in the dairy division.<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> He spent time going to Bombay city on weekends and under the pretext of work, volunteered to tinker with the primitive dairy equipment of [[Tribhuvandas Patel]], who sought his help to process the milk of farmers he had brought together after a strike in 1946, and formed a [[cooperative]] to purchase their milk at nearby [[Kheda|Kaira]] (now Kheda).
Kurien decided to quit the government job mid-way and leave Anand but was persuaded by Patel to stay with him after quitting them, and help him set up his dairy cooperative.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&pg=PA65|title=The Amul India Story|last=Heredia|first=Ruth|publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill|year=1997|isbn=978-0-07-463160-7|location=New Delhi|pages=65}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://forbesindia.com/article/special/v-kurien-indias-white-knight/33719/2|title=V. Kurien: India's White Knight|last=Misra|first=Udit|date=10 September 2012|newspaper=Forbes India|access-date=11 September 2012}}</ref> Kurien established the dairy cooperative, Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited (KDCMPUL) (popularly known as [[Amul]] - [[Anand Milk Utpadak Ltd]] Dairy), at Anand, in the year 1950.<ref name="Varghese Reference1" />
==Work==
{{multiple image
| align = right
| direction =
| width = 350
| image1 = Kurien, Tribhuvandas & Dalaya.jpg|636x429px
| alt1 =
| caption1 = Kurien, Patel, and Dalaya at their dairy plant at Anand in 1970
| image2 =
| alt2 =
| caption2 =
| footer =
| total_width =
}}
}}


===Foundation of the dairy and its structure===
'''Verghese Kurien''' (26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012) was an Indian [[dairying|dairy engineer]] and [[social entrepreneur]]. He led initiatives that contributed to the extensive increase in milk production in India termed as the [[White Revolution (India)|White Revolution]].
The farmers faced a problem of fluctuating milk production as surplus milk found no buyers in the flush season (when animals produce more milk) and turned to the cooperative for help, where a proposal to convert the surplus into milk powder was made. Kurien's batchmate from America and dairy engineer [[Harichand Megha Dalaya|H. M. Dalaya]], who he persuaded to stay back at Anand after a visit, invented the process of making [[milk powder|skim milk powder]] and [[condensed milk]] from buffalo milk instead of from cow milk.<ref name="DalayaNews" /><ref name="Heredia" /> In India, buffalo milk was plentiful, while cow milk was in short supply, unlike Europe. For this reason, [[Amul]] competed successfully against Nestle, the leading competitor for milk, and later against Glaxo for baby food. Later research by Dr. G. H. Wilster led to cheese production from buffalo milk at Amul.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&pg=PA168|title=The Amul India Story|last=Heredia|first=Ruth|publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill|year=1997|isbn=978-0-07-463160-7|location=New Delhi|pages=168}}</ref> To cut costs, Kurien procured a captive packaging-tin unit attached to the dairy facility.  
 
Amul organised dairy farmers in the villages and linked them directly to consumers in the market by eliminating middlemen, ensuring a steady and a regular income for them even during the lean season, and better quality products at a competitive price to consumers in the large market of the reachable Bombay city, over well-paved village "milk roads" and "cold-chains".{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}


===Political and social conditions===
Kurien graduated in [[physics]] from the [[University of Madras]] in 1940 and received his masters in [[mechanical engineering]] from the [[Michigan State University]] in 1947. In 1949, Kurien was sent by the [[Government of India]] to run its experimental creamery at [[Anand, Gujarat|Anand]], where he set up the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union in 1950 which later became [[Amul]]. Amul organised the dairy farmers in the villages as a part of [[cooperative]]s and linked them to the milk consumers directly, eliminating the need for middlemen.
Kurien and his mentor Patel were backed by some political leaders and bureaucrats{{efn|name=Maniben}} who saw merit in their pioneering cooperative model: farmers willing to associate together for  produce and willing to be led by professionals while being owners of the cooperative. India had just gained political freedom from a colonial power whom the leaders had seen extorting land tax unjustly from farmers suffering from crop failure. There had been many famines over the duration of that regime, so leaders were concerned over food security of the population. As a newly independent nation, there was a desire to gain self-sufficiency in its consumed produce and a thrust towards domestic production to substitute for imports. Moreover, these nationalist leaders were influenced by socialist ideals of formation of social capital more than the formation of capital assets, and the Gandhian philosophy of production by the masses triumphed mass-production in a resource-constrained nation. At the same time, the new government's policies were open to the skills and learnings of modern experts, research, technological prowess, and aid from the rest of the world.  


The first farmers in the cooperative all belonged to Patel's predominant caste-grouping, which helped to bring all of them together quickly before farmers from other castes became interested and participated. Rather than focusing directly on removing caste and class conflicts which get entrenched as vested interests, Patel worked singularly on the belief that economic self-interest of all sections of the village-society would make them align together to grow their cooperative.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAP624.pdf#page=75|title=Local Organization and Rural Development: The State of the Art (Cornell University), pp.65,47|last1=Esmcn|first1=Milton J.|last2=Uphoff|first2=Norman T.|date=1982|website=USAID|access-date=6 October 2017}}</ref>
In 1965, Kurien was appointed as the head of the newly formed [[National Dairy Development Board]] (NDDB), which helped to set up similar cooperatives across India and made [[dairy farming]] one of the largest self-sustaining industries and employment generators in rural areas. The dairy cooperatives were successful in increasing the milk production as the dairy farmers controlled the procurement, processing, and marketing as the owners of the cooperative. This led to a multi-fold increase in milk output over the next few decades and helped India become the world's largest milk producer in 1998. The co-operative model was later applied to other agricultural industries in India such as the production of [[edible oil]]s and replicated in other countries.


===Consolidation===
For his contributions in increasing the dairy output, Kurien is known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India. He was awarded the [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]] in 1964 and the [[World Food Prize]] in 1989. In 1999, he received the [[Padma Vibhushan]], India's second highest civilian honour. He was conferred the [[Order of Agricultural Merit]] by the [[Government of France|French Government]] in 1997.
Amul's cooperative dairying venture became popular. Dignitaries, researchers, trainees,<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/bitstream/1/62909/5/62909.pdf#page=54|title=Report of the National Dairy Research Institute (Report No, 21)|year=1961|pages=48}}</ref> and common folk would visit Anand to learn more about it. Earlier, former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru had visited Anand to inaugurate Amul's plant, the largest in Asia, and praised Kurien for his groundbreaking work.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&pg=PA127|title=The Amul India Story|last=Heredia|first=Ruth|publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill|year=1997|isbn=978-0-07-463160-7|location=New Delhi|pages=85–127}}</ref>


In 1956, Kurien visited Nestle in Switzerland at the invitation of the commerce and industries minister, to ask them to reduce imports of Indian production and have more Indians inducted, but they told him that making condensed milk "could not be left to the natives". He returned to India and boosted Amul's production and market of condensed milk; after two years the government banned the import of condensed milk into the country. Amul also faced serious competition from imported butter, especially from New Zealand. Nehru, who trusted Kurien, cut imports of butter in tandem, with Kurien promising and delivering an incremental increase of his production to eliminate butter shortage.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sharma|first1=Arvind (15 September 2012)|title=A Few More Dr. Kuriens Please!|url=http://www.indiantelevision.com/mam/marketing/mam/a-few-more-dr-kuriens-please|website=IndianTelevision|access-date=8 October 2017}}</ref> During the 1962 Indo-China war, the government relied on Kurien to provide supplies to the army. He had to divert these away from his civilian market. When Polson started grabbing his market share, Kurien ensured the government froze Polson's production lines, as part of the [[war effort]].<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=O89bBAAAQBAJ&pg=PT84|title=I too had a Dream|last1=Kurien|first1=Verghese|last2=Salve|first2=Gouri|date=2012|publisher=(Roli Books)|isbn=9788174368850|language=en}}</ref>
== Early life and education ==
Kurien was born on 26 November 1921 in [[Calicut]], [[Madras Presidency]], [[British India]] (now [[Kozhikode]], [[Kerala]], India) in a [[Malayali]] [[Saint Thomas Anglicans|Syrian Christian]] family.<ref name="Biography">{{cite book|last1=Kamath|first1=M. V.|title=Milkman from Anand: The Story of Verghese Kurien|date=1996|publisher=Konark Publishers|isbn=978-8-12200-413-7|pages=3–5}}</ref> His father was a government civil surgeon and Kurien did his schooling at [[Diamond Jubilee Higher Secondary School]] at [[Gobichettipalayam]], where his father worked at the government hospital there.<ref name="IDA"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.industrialeconomist.com/page.php?page=14&cid=602|title=Kurien visits Erode|last=Madhavan|first=E.|date=1 May 2014|newspaper=Industrial Economist|access-date=26 November 2015|archive-date=26 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151126114756/http://www.industrialeconomist.com/page.php?page=14&cid=602|url-status=live}}</ref> He graduated in [[physics]] from [[Loyola College, Chennai|Loyola College]] in 1940 and received a bachelor's degree in [[mechanical engineering]] from the [[College of Engineering, Guindy]], affiliated to the [[University of Madras]], in 1943.<ref name="IDA"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thebetterindia.com/153870/college-engineering-guindy-chennai-news/|title=India's Oldest Engineering College Turns 225: 6 Alumni Who Have Made Guindy Proud!|work=The Better India|access-date=1 December 2023|date=31 July 2018|archive-date=23 March 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190323181220/https://www.thebetterindia.com/153870/college-engineering-guindy-chennai-news/|url-status=live}}</ref>


===Spreading around and nationwide===
Kurien wanted to join the [[Indian army]] as an engineer but instead he worked with [[Tata Steel|Tata Steel Technical Institute]] in [[Jamshedpur]].<ref name="MD">{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/learning/national-milk-day-verghese-kurien-milkman-of-india-facts-5465032/|title=National Milk Day: 10 facts on Verghese Kurien, the Milkman of India|date=26 November 2018|access-date=1 June 2023|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|archive-date=13 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713083645/https://indianexpress.com/article/parenting/learning/national-milk-day-verghese-kurien-milkman-of-india-facts-5465032/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/national-milk-day-who-was-dr-verghese-kurien-the-father-of-the-white-revolution-15251691.htm|title=National Milk Day: Who was Dr Verghese Kurien, the father of the White Revolution?|date=25 November 2022|access-date=1 June 2023|newspaper=[[CNBC TV18]]|archive-date=16 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716142516/https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/national-milk-day-who-was-dr-verghese-kurien-the-father-of-the-white-revolution-15251691.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Kurien applied for a scholarship provided by the [[Government of India]] to study [[metallurgical engineering]] but instead received a scholarship to study [[dairying|dairy engineering]].{{sfn|Menon|1989|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ch5YDhFPKhEC&pg=PA69 69]}} He was sent to train at the [[National Dairy Research Institute|Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry]] in [[Bangalore]] before being sent to the [[United States]] on a government scholarship.<ref name="OI">{{cite news|url=https://www.oneindia.com/2012/09/09/verghese-kurien-indias-coop-dairy-movement-founder-1067768.html|title=Verghese Kurien laid foundation for co-op dairy movement|date=9 September 2012|access-date=1 June 2024|work=[[OneIndia]]|archive-date=13 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240713083642/https://www.oneindia.com/2012/09/09/verghese-kurien-indias-coop-dairy-movement-founder-1067768.html|url-status=live}}</ref> He graduated with a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the [[Michigan State University]] in 1948.<ref name="Verghese Kurien life">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/world/asia/verghese-kurien-90-who-led-indias-milk-cooperatives-dies.html?_r=0|title=Verghese Kurien, Leader of India's Milk Cooperatives, Dies at 90|last=Yardley|first=William|date=10 September 2012|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=26 August 2016|archive-date=8 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170808075802/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/world/asia/verghese-kurien-90-who-led-indias-milk-cooperatives-dies.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Dr Verghese Kurien – From mechanical engineer to milkman|url=http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_dr-verghese-kurien-from-mechanical-engineer-to-milkman_1738927|date=10 September 2012|access-date=26 October 2012|newspaper=Daily News and Analysis|archive-date=13 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913041102/http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_dr-verghese-kurien-from-mechanical-engineer-to-milkman_1738927|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Kurien white">{{cite news|title=The man who revolutionised white|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=10 September 2012|url=https://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-man-who-revolutionised-white/article3878213.ece|access-date=26 October 2012|archive-date=18 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170318101326/http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-man-who-revolutionised-white/article3878213.ece|url-status=live}}</ref> Kurien had stated that though he was sent on a government scholarship to study dairy engineering, he studied metallurgical and nuclear engineering, disciplines which were likely to be of far greater use to the soon-to-be independent India and to himself.
{{multiple image
<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/doodh-ka-doodh-kurien-style/article3889417.ece|title=Doodh ka doodh... Kurien style|last=Bhagat|first=Rasheeda|date=13 September 2012|newspaper=[[Business Line]]|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|title=Economic Growth and Social development|url=https://xlri.ac.in/pdf/5th-kurien.pdf|publisher=[[Xavier Labour Relations Institute|XLRI]]|date=22 September 2018|access-date=11 September 2022|page=7|author=[[Jean Dreze]]|archive-date=16 May 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516225534/https://xlri.ac.in/pdf/5th-kurien.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>
| align = right
| direction =  
| width =  
| image1 = Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and 'Father of the White Revolution' Verghese Kurien in IRMA Campus.jpg
| alt1 =  
| caption1 =  
| image2 = Kurien with Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964.jpg
| alt2 =  
| caption2 =  
| footer = Verghese Kurien seen here with [[List of Prime Ministers of India|6th Prime Minister of India]] [[Rajiv Gandhi]] and 2nd [[Prime Minister of India]] [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]].
| total_width = 660
}}In 1965, Prime Minister [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]] tasked Kurien to replicate the dairy's Anand scheme nationwide for which, the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was founded under Kurien on his conditions, that it be independent of governmental control and that it be set up at Anand, away from the capitals and closer to farmers.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pandit|first=Shrinivas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K6YiZCu5MaMC&pg=PA147|title=Thought Leaders|publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill|year=2001|isbn=978-0-07-049550-0|location=New Delhi|pages=147–148}}</ref> Kurien was mindful of meddling by the political class and bureaucrats sitting in the capital cities, letting it be known upfront.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dasgupta|first=Manas|date=9 September 2012|title=Kurien strode like a titan across the bureaucratic barriers and obstacles|newspaper=The Hindu|url=http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3877337.ece?textsize=small&test=2|access-date=13 September 2012}}</ref>


He was negotiated with donors like the [[UNICEF]] for aid<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.unicef.org/about/history/files/Child-Nation-M-Black-Ch06-p141-167-civilzation-follows-cow.pdf#page=12|title=Civilization Follows the Cow|publisher=UNICEF|access-date=27 August 2016}}</ref> and confronted the New Zealand government and a lobbies in countries which he realised wanted to "convert aid into trade" for their companies, contrary to his ideal of India becoming self-sufficient. He used the proceeds from the sale of that "mountains and lakes"{{efn|name=MNL}} of [[Dumping (pricing policy)|dumped]] aid in the Indian markets as his "billion-litre idea" to encourage the movement of high-yield native cattle to urban areas and set up milksheds and dairy farms nationwide to stabilise the dairy markets of big cities.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&pg=PA116|title=The Amul India Story|last=Heredia|first=Ruth|publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill|year=1997|isbn=978-0-07-463160-7|location=New Delhi|pages=110–117}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Heredia |first=Ruth |title=The Amul India Story |year=1997 |publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-0-07-463160-7 |pages=106–108 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&pg=PA106}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Heredia |first=Ruth |title=The Amul India Story |year=1997 |publisher=Tata Mc-Graw Hill |location=New Delhi |isbn=978-0-07-463160-7 |pages=210–211 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TYEkjpYkHrMC&pg=PA211}}</ref>  
== Career ==
=== Early years ===
In 1949, Kurien was sent by the government of India to its experimental [[creamery]] at [[Anand, Gujarat|Anand]] in [[Bombay province]] (currently in [[Gujarat]]).<ref name="IDA"/><ref name="OI"/> He spent the evenings helping [[Tribhuvandas Patel]] with fixing the dairy equipment used for processing the milk procured from the local farmers.{{sfn|Menon|1989|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ch5YDhFPKhEC&pg=PA73 73]}}<ref>{{cite news|title=Amul remembers Tribhuvandas on his birth anniversary|url=https://www.indiancooperative.com/co-op-news-snippets/amul-remembers-tribhuvandas-on-his-birth-anniversary/|access-date=10 March 2021|publisher=Indian Cooperative|date=23 October 2019|archive-date=31 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831004701/https://www.indiancooperative.com/co-op-news-snippets/amul-remembers-tribhuvandas-on-his-birth-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</ref> Earlier in 1946, Patel had set up a [[cooperative]] at [[Kheda|Kaira]]. It was formed as a response to the exploitation of small dairy farmers by traders and agents, who set arbitrary milk prices on behalf of [[Polson (brand)|Polson]], which had a near-total monopoly in milk collection from Kaira.<ref>{{cite book|last=George|first=Shanti|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dbI6AAAAMAAJ|title=Operation Flood: An Appraisal of Current Indian Dairy Policy|date=1985|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19561-679-8|access-date=12 December 2023|archive-date=4 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404052239/https://books.google.com/books?id=dbI6AAAAMAAJ|url-status=live}}</ref> Kurien wanted to quit the government job and leave Anand but was persuaded by Patel to stay with him to help with his dairy cooperative.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://forbesindia.com/article/special/v-kurien-indias-white-knight/33719/2|title=V. Kurien: India's White Knight|last=Misra|first=Udit|date=10 September 2012|newspaper=[[Forbes India]]|access-date=11 September 2012|archive-date=2 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190402160414/http://www.forbesindia.com/article/special/v-kurien-indias-white-knight/33719/2|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Heredia|1997|p=65}}


The Anand dairy was replicated in Gujarat's districts around it and he set brought all of them under Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF)<ref name="Kurien Reference2" /> in 1973 to sell their products under a single [[Amul]] brand. Many states emulated setting up their federations based on this scheme with varying degrees of success, notably, with Karnataka's brand Nandini, Rajasthan's brand Saras and Bihar's brand Sudha.
=== Developing Amul ===
[[File:2 The-Amul-trinity Kurien Shri-TK-Patel HM Dalaya.jpg|thumb|Kurien (left) with [[Tribhuvandas Patel]] (centre) and [[Harichand Megha Dalaya|H. M. Dalaya]] at [[Anand, Gujarat|Anand]]]]


Shastri also took Kurien's help to manage the Delhi Milk Scheme; Kurien swiftly corrected prices.
Kurien developed the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited (KDCMPUL) further which later became [[Amul]].<ref name="Amul">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tLYR8Os_IpAC&pg=PA4|title=Rural and urban linkages: Operation flood s role in India s dairy development|author=Kenda Cunningham|publisher=International Food Policy Research Institute|year=2009|access-date=9 July 2024|archive-date=16 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716142518/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Rural_and_urban_linkages_Operation_flood/tLYR8Os_IpAC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA4|url-status=live}}</ref> Milk collection was decentralised and was directly procured from the farmers at villages as a part of the cooperatives.<ref name="IDA">{{cite web|url=https://indiandairyassociation.org/pdf/info/Dr-Kurien.pdf|title=Dr Kurien|publisher=Indian Dairy Association|access-date=1 June 2024|archive-date=23 September 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230923214525/https://indiandairyassociation.org/pdf/info/Dr-Kurien.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-_bBKK3_98EC&pg=PA66|page=66|title=India Land of a Billion Entrepreneurs|author=Upendra Kachru|year=2011|isbn=978-8-13175-861-8|publisher=[[Pearson PLC]]|access-date=6 July 2024|archive-date=16 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716132649/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/India_Land_of_a_Billion_Entrepreneurs/-_bBKK3_98EC?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA66|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Thapar|first=Romila|author-link=Romila Thapar|title=The Amul Saga|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=BYRDAAAAYAAJ&q=Kurien|journal=Seminar|issue=497–508|year=2001|page=41|access-date=7 July 2024|archive-date=15 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715122649/https://books.google.co.in/books?redir_esc=y&id=BYRDAAAAYAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Kurien|url-status=live}}</ref> Kurien and Tribhuvandas Patel were supported by [[Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel]] and [[Morarji Desai]] to help organise the dairy farmers.<ref>{{cite news|last=Suhrud|first=Tridip|author-link=Tridip Suhrud|title=The magic of manthan|url=http://www.tehelka.com/story_main17.asp?filename=op040806the_magic.asp|access-date=2 February 2011|newspaper=[[Tehelka]]|date=8 April 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061111211535/http://www.tehelka.com/story_main17.asp?filename=op040806the_magic.asp|archive-date=11 November 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> Kurien worked on the belief that economic self-interest of all sections of the village-society would make them align together to grow their cooperative and remove caste or class conflicts.<ref>{{cite report|url=http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAP624.pdf|title=Local Organization and Rural Development: The State of the Art|publisher=[[Cornell University]]|page=47, 65|last1=Esman|first1=Milton J.|last2=Uphoff|first2=Norman T.|author-link2=Norman Uphoff|date=1982|via=[[United States Agency for International Development]]|access-date=6 October 2017|archive-date=21 February 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170221032028/http://pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNAAP624.pdf#page=75|url-status=dead}}</ref> The cooperative dairying venture was expanded to the nearby districts and was involved in the training of dairy students.<ref>{{cite book|url=http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/bitstream/1/62909/5/62909.pdf#page=54|title=Report of the National Dairy Research Institute (Report No, 21)|year=1961|pages=54,55|access-date=14 September 2017|archive-date=14 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170914173039/http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/bitstream/1/62909/5/62909.pdf#page=54|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Menon|1989|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ch5YDhFPKhEC&pg=PA77 77]}}{{sfn|Heredia|1997|p=127}} By 1952, the daily milk procurement reached 20,000 litres from a mere 200 litres per day in 1948.<ref name="Manthan"/>


In 1979, he founded the [[Institute of Rural Management Anand]] (IRMA)<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> to groom managers for the cooperatives.
In 1956, Kurien visited [[Nestle]] in Switzerland at their invitation but with special instructions from the [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|commerce and industries minister]]. Nestle was importing [[milk powder]], [[sugar]] and other materials required to produce [[condensed milk]] in India. Kurien asked Nestle to reduce the imports to India, to try manufacturing condensed milk with [[buffalo milk]] procured locally and to engage more Indians in the production process. He was met with a refusal stating that the natives would not be able to handle the technology involved in the condensed milk production.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Rv40EAAAQBAJ&pg=PA295|page=295|title=Social and Solidarity: Economy Beyond the Fringe|year=2015|isbn=978-1-78360-346-6|publisher=[[Bloomsbury Publishing]]|author=Peter Utting|access-date=6 July 2024|archive-date=15 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715122650/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Social_and_Solidarity_Economy/Rv40EAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA295|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/amul-brand-builder-verghese-kurien-the-man-who-turned-india-into-largest-milk-producer/articleshow/16328573.cms|title=Amul brand builder Verghese Kurien: The man who turned India into largest milk producer|date=10 September 2021|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]|access-date=1 December 2023|archive-date=12 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231212160241/https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/amul-brand-builder-verghese-kurien-the-man-who-turned-india-into-largest-milk-producer/articleshow/16328573.cms|url-status=live}}</ref> On returning, he increased the production of condensed milk at Amul, the import of which was banned by Government of India two years later.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://thewire.in/business/the-unfinished-dream-behind-amuls-foray-into-the-chocolate-industry|title=The Unfinished Dream Behind Amul's Foray into the Chocolate Industry|date=18 November 2021|access-date=1 June 2024|newspaper=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]|archive-date=11 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611011849/https://thewire.in/business/the-unfinished-dream-behind-amuls-foray-into-the-chocolate-industry|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Harichand Megha Dalaya|H. M. Dalaya]], who studied dairy engineering with Kurien at the US, was persuaded by Kurien to work with him at Anand.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indiadairy.com/expert-article/an-improbable-dream-verghese-kurien-was-a-transformational-leader/|title=An Improbable Dream Verghese Kurien was a transformational leader|author=Thomas Carter|work=India dairy|access-date=1 June 2024|archive-date=28 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231128141140/https://indiadairy.com/expert-article/an-improbable-dream-verghese-kurien-was-a-transformational-leader/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite report|url=https://industrialeconomist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/18-20-White-Revolution-Kurien-SV-Dec-2021.pdf|title=White revolution|publisher=Industrial Economist|date=18 December 2021|access-date=1 June 2024|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110109/https://industrialeconomist.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/18-20-White-Revolution-Kurien-SV-Dec-2021.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> He helped develop an indigenous process of making [[milk powder|skimmed milk powder]] and condensed milk from buffalo milk, which had a higher proportion of milk solids and increased its economic value.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kurien|first=Verghese|title=Ending Poverty in South Asia: Ideas that work|year=2007|publisher=[[The World Bank]]|location=Washington D.C., USA|isbn=978-0-82136-876-3|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IV9m8gF6XDcC&pg=PA47|chapter=India' s Milk Revolution: Investing in Rural Producer Organizations|editor=Narayan, Deepa|editor2=Glinskaya, Elena|access-date=13 January 2021|page=47|quote=If there was one technological breakthrough that revolutionized India's organized dairy industry, it was the making of skim milk powder out of buffalo milk. The man who made this possible and who had the foresight to defy the prevailing technical wisdom was H. M. Dalaya.|archive-date=9 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230309030609/https://books.google.com/books?id=IV9m8gF6XDcC&pg=PA47|url-status=live }}</ref> In India, buffalo milk was plentiful while cow milk was in short supply.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/seeking-equity-for-dairy-farmers-in-india-was-lifelong-legacy|title=Seeking equity for dairy farmers in India was lifelong legacy|date=10 January 2018|access-date=1 June 2024|publisher=[[Michigan State University]]|archive-date=29 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231129051840/https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/seeking-equity-for-dairy-farmers-in-india-was-lifelong-legacy|url-status=live}}</ref> With the production of condensed milk and baby food from Buffalo milk, Amul competed successfully against Nestle and [[Glaxo]].<ref>{{cite book|page=86|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=itPzEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA86|title=The Making of India, 1947-2022: Pivotal People, Events, and Institutions|author1=Gurucharan Gollerkeri|author2=Renuka Raja Rao|year=2024|isbn=978-1-52756-141-0|publisher=[[Cambridge Scholars Publishing]]|access-date=6 July 2024|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110106/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/The_Making_of_India_1947_2022/itPzEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA86|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Damodaran|first=Harish|title=Amul's tech wizard, Dalaya passes away|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2004/09/13/stories/2004091300610700.htm|access-date=10 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|date=13 September 2004|archive-date=27 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140627073817/http://www.thehindubusinessline.in/2004/09/13/stories/2004091300610700.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>


===Intervention in other marks and international aid===
The then [[Ministry of Commerce and Industry (India)|Commerce minister]] [[T T Krishnamachari]] also cut imports of [[butter]] in steps with Kurien promising and delivering an incremental increase of his production to substitute imported butter, especially from [[New Zealand]].<ref>{{cite report|last1=Ghosh|first1=Abhijit|title=Embeddedness and dynamics of growth: Case of Amul|url=https://knowledgehub.unsse.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Embeddedness-and-the-Dynamics-of-Growth.pdf|publisher=[[United Nations Research Institute for Social Development]]|page=12|date=8 May 2013|access-date=8 October 2017|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110105/https://knowledgehub.unsse.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Embeddedness-and-the-Dynamics-of-Growth.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> During the [[Sino-Indian War]] in 1962, production had to be diverted to the [[Indian armed forces]] which allowed Polson to gain market share. Kurien lobbied with the government to freeze Polson's production lines, as part of the [[war effort]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rrCkEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA34|page=34|title=Service Above Self|author=Kavita Agarwal|year=2022|isbn=978-9-35632-880-8|publisher=BFC Publications|access-date=7 July 2024|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110110/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Service_Above_Self/rrCkEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA34|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Manthan">{{cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/manthan-in-cannes-stirs-joy-in-anand-101716665274462.html|title='Manthan' in Cannes stirs joy in Anand|date=26 May 2024|access-date=1 June 2024|newspaper=[[The Hindustan Times]]|archive-date=29 May 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240529011308/https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/mumbai-news/manthan-in-cannes-stirs-joy-in-anand-101716665274462.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Later research by G. H. Wilster led to cheese production from buffalo milk at Amul.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d0vIDAAAQBAJ&pg=PP4|title=Milking Revolution: Verghese Kurien's Dairy Innovations|author=A.K.Gandhi|year=2021|isbn=978-8-18430-469-5|publisher=Prabhat Prakashan|page=4|quote=G.H. Wilster led to making cheese from buffalo milk, which benefited the movement greatly|access-date=7 July 2024|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110123/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Verghese_Kurien/d0vIDAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PP4|url-status=live}}</ref>{{sfn|Heredia|1997|p=168}}
Kurien was inspired by prime ministers [[Indira Gandhi]] and [[Rajiv Gandhi]]'s methods on setting up cooperatives and plants, Indira's intervention in fruits and vegetables, and Rajiv's intervention in oilseeds and edible oil markets.<ref name=":3" /> Brands resulting from these – Dhara (Operation Golden Flow for cooking oils), Mother Dairy (Operation Flood) and Safal (for vegetables) have become common household names.


Kurien was crucial in setting up similar cooperatives across India and beyond. In 1979, Premier [[Alexei Kosygin]] invited Kurien to the Soviet Union for advice on its cooperatives. In 1982, Pakistan invited him to set up dairy cooperatives, where he led a World Bank mission. Around 1989, China implemented its own Operation Flood-like programme with the help of Kurien and the [[World Food Programme]]. Former Prime Minister [[P. V. Narasimha Rao|Narasimha Rao]] sought his help to set up a dairy cooperative in neighbouring Sri Lanka which was done as a collaboration with NDDB later in 1997.
=== Nationwide expansion ===
[[File:Kurien with Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964.jpg|thumb|Kurien with then Prime Minister [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]] in 1964]]


===Market domination and aftermath===
When then Prime Minister [[Lal Bahadur Shastri]] visited Anand to inaugurate Amul's cattle feed factory in October 1964, he interacted with the dairy farmers about their cooperative. In 1965, Shastri tasked Kurien to replicate the dairy's Anand scheme nationwide, for which the [[National Dairy Development Board]] (NDDB) was founded.<ref>{{cite book|last=Pandit|first=Shrinivas|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=K6YiZCu5MaMC&pg=PA147|title=Thought Leaders|publisher=[[Tata McGraw Hill]]|year=2001|isbn=978-0-07049-550-0|location=New Delhi|pages=147–148|access-date=17 September 2017|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110656/https://books.google.com/books?id=K6YiZCu5MaMC&pg=PA147|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Manthan"/> It was established as a society based at Anand and was led by Kurien.<ref>{{cite news|last=Dasgupta|first=Manas|date=9 September 2012|title=Kurien strode like a titan across the bureaucratic barriers and obstacles|newspaper=[[The Hindu]]|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kurien-strode-like-a-titan-across-the-bureaucratic-barriers-and-obstacles/article3877337.ece|access-date=13 September 2012|archive-date=19 January 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119173256/https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kurien-strode-like-a-titan-across-the-bureaucratic-barriers-and-obstacles/article3877337.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://indiadairy.com/expert-article/nddbs-role-in-the-white-revolution-and-challenges-ahead/|title=NDDB's Role in the White Revolution and Challenges Ahead|author=Amrita Patel|publisher=India Dairy|access-date=1 June 2024|archive-date=15 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715122723/https://indiadairy.com/expert-article/nddbs-role-in-the-white-revolution-and-challenges-ahead/|url-status=live}}</ref>
In the 1990s he lobbied and fought hard to keep multinational companies from entering the dairy business even as the country opened up all its other markets to them after decades of protection.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KyyXB6PiN8MC&pg=PA57|title=India: The Dairy Revolution : the Impact of Dairy Development in India and the World Bank's Contribution (pp. 57–60)|last1=Candler|first1=Wilfred|last2=Kumar|first2=Nalini|date=1998|publisher=World Bank (Operations Evaluation Department)|isbn=9780821342893|language=en}}</ref> India became the world's largest milk producer by 1998, surpassing the United States of America,<ref name="hindustant">{{cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Ahmedabad/India-largest-milk-producing-nation-in-2010-11-NDDB/Article1-785018.aspx |title=India largest milk producing nation in 2010–11: NDDB |publisher=Hindustan Times |date=20 December 2011 |access-date=9 September 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426131554/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Ahmedabad/India-largest-milk-producing-nation-in-2010-11-NDDB/Article1-785018.aspx |archive-date=26 April 2013 }}</ref> with about 17 percent of global output in 2010–2011.


In 1998, he persuaded former Prime Minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] to appoint [[Amrita Patel|Dr. Amrita Patel]] as his successor at NDDB, whom he had groomed under him to keep government bureaucrats away from the post and protect NDDB's independence from the government.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SecpUgsDsn4C&pg=PA20|title=The Missionary: Amrita Patel|last=Pandit|first=Shrinivas|date=1 August 2007|publisher=Tata McGraw-Hill Education|isbn=9780070656789|language=en}}</ref> Later, he had differences with her on the direction she was taking cooperative dairying—by solely focusing on production and yield targets through corporatisation and competition at the expense of weakening the cooperative institutions of the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2006/stories/20030328001408500.htm|title=Dairy war|last=Katakam|first=Anupama|date=15 March 2003|website=Frontline|access-date=13 September 2017}}</ref> For instance, marketing no longer remaining with the farmers' cooperatives and being handed over to private or corporate interests, as that would mean foregoing the ability to determine the price to be paid by consumers, the quality of the produce to be offered to them, and losing the "lion's share" of the money paid by the consumer to these corporates.
Kurien negotiated with [[FAO]] and [[UNICEF]] of the [[United Nations]], and the [[World Bank]] for aid to develop the cooperatives as a part of "Operation Flood".<ref>{{cite report|url=http://www.unicef.org/about/history/files/Child-Nation-M-Black-Ch06-p141-167-civilzation-follows-cow.pdf#page=12|title=Civilization Follows the Cow|publisher=[[UNICEF]]|access-date=27 August 2016|archive-date=1 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110601061557/http://www.unicef.org/about/history/files/Child-Nation-M-Black-Ch06-p141-167-civilzation-follows-cow.pdf#page=12|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="WB">{{cite report|url=https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/748851468771700148/pdf/308270IN0Milk01ion01see0also0307591.pdf|title=Reducing Poverty, Sustaining Growth: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why A Global Exchange for Scaling Up Success|chapter=India's Milk Revolution: Investing in Rural Producer Organizations|page=6|publisher=[[World Bank]]|date=25 May 2004|access-date=1 June 2024|archive-date=29 March 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240329230937/https://documents1.worldbank.org/curated/en/748851468771700148/pdf/308270IN0Milk01ion01see0also0307591.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> In the first phase between 1970 and 1979, he focused on choosing the 18 best milk sheds across the country, setting up dairy cooperatives and linking them with nearby major cities, to capture the market there.<ref name="WB"/> The Anand model was replicated across Gujarat and Kurien brought all of them under the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) to sell their products under a single [[Amul]] brand on the 25th anniversary of establishment.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gupta|first1=Sharad|title=Remembering Verghese Kurien – India's first milkman|url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/remembering-verghese-kurien-indias-first-milkman/article30084051.ece|access-date=10 March 2021|newspaper=[[Business Line]]|archive-date=21 October 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021222527/https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/variety/remembering-verghese-kurien-indias-first-milkman/article30084051.ece|url-status=live }}</ref> In the second phase between 1979 and 1985, the plan was extended to cover more than 290 towns.<ref name="WB"/> In 1979, he established the [[Institute of Rural Management Anand|Institute of Rural Management]] at Anand for training the managers involved in the milk cooperatives.{{sfn|Menon|1989|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=Ch5YDhFPKhEC&pg=PA85 85]}} By 1985, there were about 4.25 million milk producers attached to 43,000 village cooperatives and milk powder production scaled up more than six times.<ref name="WB"/>


He resigned from the position of GCMMF Chairman in 2006 after dwindling support from new members on the governing board and mounting dissent from his protegés (some referring to his work ethic as dictatorial) backed by political forces desperate to make inroads into the cooperative dairy's district unions.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2306/stories/20060407003802400.htm|title=Controversy: Milkman's exit|last=Katakam|first=Anupama|date=7 April 2006|newspaper=Frontline (Volume 23 – Issue 06)|access-date=11 September 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/verghese-kurien-quits-gujarat-co-operative-diary-body-faces-politicking-risk/1/181511.html|title=A White Evolution: Verghese Kurien quits Gujarat co-operative, diary [sic] body faces politicking risk|last=Mahurkar|first=Uday|date=17 April 2006|newspaper=India Today|access-date=13 September 2012}}</ref>
=== Consolidation and self-sufficiency ===
In the last phase of the Operation Flood between 1985 and 1996, Kurien focused on making the cooperatives independent and self-sustaining. It involved scaling up infrastructure to increase procurement and production, establishment dairy processing facilities, focus on marketing and training management professionals.<ref name="WB"/> In the 1990s, he lobbied and fought hard to keep multinational companies from entering the dairy business even as the country opened up due to [[Economic liberalisation in India|liberalisation]] in 1991.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KyyXB6PiN8MC&pg=PA57|title=India: The Dairy Revolution : the Impact of Dairy Development in India and the World Bank's Contribution|pages=57–60|last1=Candler|first1=Wilfred|last2=Kumar|first2=Nalini|date=1998|publisher=World Bank (Operations Evaluation Department)|isbn=978-0-82134-289-3|access-date=17 September 2017|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110616/https://books.google.com/books?id=KyyXB6PiN8MC&pg=PA57#v=onepage&q&f=false|url-status=live}}</ref> India became the world's largest milk producer by 1998, surpassing the United States and contributed to about 17 percent of global output in 2010–11.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Ahmedabad/India-largest-milk-producing-nation-in-2010-11-NDDB/Article1-785018.aspx|title=India largest milk producing nation in 2010–11: NDDB|newspaper=[[The Hindustan Times]]|date=20 December 2011|access-date=9 September 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130426131554/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Ahmedabad/India-largest-milk-producing-nation-in-2010-11-NDDB/Article1-785018.aspx|archive-date=26 April 2013 }}</ref>  


He was handed over the chairmanship of [[Tribhuvandas Foundation]] – an NGO to work on women and child health in Kheda district, by Tribhuvandas Patel, as the trust started to grow rapidly after receiving foreign grants.<ref name="Varghese Reference1" />
In 1998, he persuaded then Prime Minister [[Atal Bihari Vajpayee]] to appoint [[Amrita Patel]] as his successor at NDDB, whom he had groomed under him to protect NDDB's independence from the government.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SecpUgsDsn4C&pg=PA20|title=The Missionary: Amrita Patel|last=Pandit|first=Shrinivas|date=1 August 2007|publisher=Tata McGraw-Hill Education|isbn=978-0-07065-678-9|page=20|access-date=17 September 2017|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110650/https://books.google.com/books?id=SecpUgsDsn4C&pg=PA20|url-status=live}}</ref> Later, he had differences with her on the policies of Amul. While she was focused on production and yield targets with certain functions such as marketing handed over to private, Kurien felt that the arrangement would weaken the cooperative institutions of the country.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2006/stories/20030328001408500.htm|title=Dairy war|last=Katakam|first=Anupama|date=15 March 2003|magazine=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|access-date=13 September 2017|archive-date=29 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829020410/http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2006/stories/20030328001408500.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> He resigned from the position of chairman of GCMMF in 2006 after limited support from the governing board.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2306/stories/20060407003802400.htm|title=Controversy: Milkman's exit|last=Katakam|first=Anupama|date=7 April 2006|magazine=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|volume=23|issue=6|access-date=11 September 2012|archive-date=22 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122105846/http://www.frontline.in/static/html/fl2306/stories/20060407003802400.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/economy/story/20060417-verghese-kurien-quits-gujarat-co-operative-diary-body-faces-politicking-risk-783289-2006-04-16|title=A White Evolution: Verghese Kurien quits Gujarat co-operative, diary [sic] body faces politicking risk|last=Mahurkar|first=Uday|date=17 April 2006|work=[[India Today]]|access-date=13 September 2012|archive-date=13 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913100554/http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/verghese-kurien-quits-gujarat-co-operative-diary-body-faces-politicking-risk/1/181511.html|url-status=live}}</ref>


Control over the Amul group GCMMF has been constantly disputed in court.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://scroll.in/article/858585/amul-is-now-a-congress-mukt-federation-how-bjp-took-control-of-indias-largest-milk-cooperative|title='Amul is now a Congress-mukt federation': How BJP took control of India's largest milk cooperative|last=Rajshekhar|first=M|work=Scroll.in|date=1 December 2017|access-date=26 September 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>
=== Other work ===
Kurien replicated the cooperative model in other agricultural industries like the production of fruits and vegetables, oil seeds and edible oil.<ref>{{cite news|last=Aneja|first=R. P.|date=11 September 2012|title=Life and times of Verghese Kurien|newspaper=The Hindu Business Line|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/article3885542.ece|access-date=11 September 2012|archive-date=13 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120913103100/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/article3885542.ece|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Singh|first=Chamder Uday|date=15 January 1982|title=Gujarat: Taking on the oil kings|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19820115-bhavnagar-vegetable-products-suffers-eight-mysterious-fires-771397-2013-10-19|access-date=1 September 2016|newspaper=[[India Today]]|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110619/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/indiascope/story/19820115-bhavnagar-vegetable-products-suffers-eight-mysterious-fires-771397-2013-10-19|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Jones|first=Clayton|date=30 July 1982|title=Farming co-ops poised to come of age in the '80s|newspaper=Christian Science Monitor|url=https://www.csmonitor.com/1982/0730/073063.html|access-date=1 September 2016|issn=0882-7729|archive-date=27 September 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180927165036/https://www.csmonitor.com/1982/0730/073063.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1979, he started the Oilseeds Growers’ Cooperative Project (OGCP) under "Operation Golden Flow". In the 1980s, more than 500,000 farmers were part of the cooperatives and "Dhara", a brand of edible oil launched by NDDB in 1988, became the country's top selling brand. In the 1990s, the project began to lose steam as the government allowed the import of edible oil from other countries after the [[Economic liberalisation in India|economic liberalisation of India]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/dr-verghese-kurien-milkman-of-india-7640292/|title=Dr Verghese Kurien: A practical idealist|date=26 November 2021|access-date=1 June 2024|author=Harish Damodaran|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|archive-date=16 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716044119/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/dr-verghese-kurien-milkman-of-india-7640292/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebetterindia.com/244400/operation-golden-flow-indias-atmanirbhar-success-story-that-gave-birth-to-dhara/|title=Operation Golden Flow: India's Atmanirbhar Success Story That Gave Birth to 'Dhara'|author=Rinchen Norbu Wangchu|date=9 December 2020|access-date=1 June 2024|publisher=The Better India|archive-date=16 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716132652/https://thebetterindia.com/244400/operation-golden-flow-indias-atmanirbhar-success-story-that-gave-birth-to-dhara/|url-status=live}}</ref>


== In popular culture ==
In 1979, the [[Premier of the Soviet Union|Premier of Soviet Union]] [[Alexei Kosygin]] visited Anand and invited Kurien to the [[Soviet Union]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FHw_AAAAYAAJ&q=Kosygin|title=Management Kurien-style: The Story of the White Revolution|author=M. V. Kamath|year=1989|isbn=978-8-12200-100-6|publisher=Konark Publishers|page=238, 239|access-date=6 July 2024|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110617/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/Management_Kurien_style/FHw_AAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Kosygin|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1982, Kurien visited Pakistan as a part of a World Bank mission following the request of the [[Government of Pakistan]] for aid in setting up dairy cooperatives.<ref name="OC">{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/economy/story/19821015-national-dairy-development-board-to-aid-pakistan-in-establishing-two-anand-type-diary-centres-772273-2013-08-23|title=National Dairy Development Board to aid Pakistan in establishing two 'Anand' type centres|date=15 October 1982|access-date=1 June 2024|work=[[India Today]]|archive-date=15 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715122652/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/economy/story/19821015-national-dairy-development-board-to-aid-pakistan-in-establishing-two-anand-type-diary-centres-772273-2013-08-23|url-status=live}}</ref> Kurien’s work registered interest from other countries like Sri Lanka and Philippines, who wanted him to replicate the cooperative model in their countries.<ref name="OC"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/milkmans-exit/article30208954.ece|title=Milkman's exit|date=7 April 2006|access-date=1 June 2024|work=[[Frontline (magazine)|Frontline]]|archive-date=27 June 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240627105940/https://frontline.thehindu.com/the-nation/milkmans-exit/article30208954.ece|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> China planned a similar programme based on Kurien’s initiatives.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://lokmarg.com/verghese-kurien-showing-the-milky-way/|title=Verghese Kurien – Showing The Milky Way|date=7 December 2021|access-date=1 June 2024|publisher=Lokmarg|archive-date=22 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220122195458/https://lokmarg.com/verghese-kurien-showing-the-milky-way/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/economy/story/19840131-national-dairy-development-board-verghese-kurien-faces-worst-attacks-on-his-credibility-802725-1984-01-30|title=Verghese Kurien faces worst attacks on his credibility|date=21 January 1984|access-date=1 June 2024|work=[[India Today]]|archive-date=15 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715123249/https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/economy/story/19840131-national-dairy-development-board-verghese-kurien-faces-worst-attacks-on-his-credibility-802725-1984-01-30|url-status=live}}</ref> He also served as the chairman of [[Tribhuvandas Foundation]], a [[non-governmental organization]] which worked on woman and child health in Kheda district in Gujarat.<ref>{{cite news|title=Amul remembers Tribhuvandas on his birth anniversary|url=https://www.indiancooperative.com/co-op-news-snippets/amul-remembers-tribhuvandas-on-his-birth-anniversary/|access-date=10 March 2021|work=Indian Cooperative|date=23 October 2019|archive-date=31 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831004701/https://www.indiancooperative.com/co-op-news-snippets/amul-remembers-tribhuvandas-on-his-birth-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Filmmaker [[Shyam Benegal]] wanted to make ''[[Manthan]]'' ("churning of the milk ocean", in Hindu mythology) a story based on Amul,<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> but lacked funds. Kurien got his half a million member-farmers to contribute two rupees to make the movie,<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> which was released in 1976. Many farmers came to see "their film" and made it a success at the box office, which emboldened distributors to release it to nationwide audiences.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}} In 2005, he wrote the book ''I Too Had A Dream'', a narrative about the empowerment of farmers and development of milk cooperatives in India, audio version of which was produced by Atul Bhide.<ref name="Kurien Reference1" />


''Manthan''<nowiki/>'s success inspired Kurien with another idea. A veterinarian, a milk technician, and a fodder specialist would tour other parts of the country in real life along with the film to persuade farmers to form cooperatives of their own. The [[UNDP]] used the movie to start similar cooperatives in Latin America<ref>{{cite news |title=Amul's Verghese Kurien never suffered fools: Shyam Benegal |access-date=11 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]] |date=10 September 2012 |url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-10/news/33737291_1_verghese-kurien-white-revolution-amul-products}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/how-a-farmers-servant-painted-the-nation-white/story-w5muyu4dpzbC3Huk5XYRbK.html|title=How a farmers' servant painted the nation white|last=Benegal|first=Shyam (As told to Mugdha Variyar)|date=9 September 2012|newspaper=The Hindustan Times|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref> and screened it in Africa.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.island.lk/2002/01/06/featur10.html|title=Cinema, Benegal and Reality|last=Rodrigo|first=Nihal|date=6 January 2002|newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)|The Island]]|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref>
== Death ==
Kurien died from an illness at the age of 90 on 9 September 2012 at [[Nadiad]] near Anand.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120910/jsp/nation/story_15958717.jsp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120915040808/http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120910/jsp/nation/story_15958717.jsp|url-status=dead|archive-date=15 September 2012|title=Kurien didn't drink milk, he lived it|date=10 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Telegraph (India)|The Telegraph]]|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-11/ahmedabad/33762051_1_kurien-and-modi-gujarat-chief-minister-india-s-white-revolution|title=Modi had soured relations with the milkman of India|date=11 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|access-date=11 September 2012|archive-date=14 September 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120914001406/http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-11/ahmedabad/33762051_1_kurien-and-modi-gujarat-chief-minister-india-s-white-revolution|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-15/news/33862984_1_verghese-kurien-kurien-and-modi-gujarat-co-operative|title=Gujarat Elections 2012: Narendra Modi wastes no time in tapping over 1/3 of Gujarat's 3.5 crore Amul voters|last1=Thakkar|first1=Mitul|last2=Sally|first2=Madhvi|date=15 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]|access-date=29 August 2016|archive-date=17 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160917021619/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-15/news/33862984_1_verghese-kurien-kurien-and-modi-gujarat-co-operative|url-status=dead}}</ref> With his wife Molly, he had a daughter named Nirmala.<ref name="Verghese Kurien life"/> Kurien, who was brought up as a [[Christian]] became an [[atheist]] later.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/he-was-an-atheist-religion-played-no-part-in-his-life-says-kuriens-daughter-5466180/|title=He was an atheist, religion played no part in his life, says Kurien's daughter|date=27 November 2018|newspaper=[[The Indian Express]]|access-date=1 June 2024|archive-date=27 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127234249/https://indianexpress.com/article/india/he-was-an-atheist-religion-played-no-part-in-his-life-says-kuriens-daughter-5466180/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/verghese-kurien-was-an-atheist-says-daughter-on-conversion-charge-1953584|title=He Was An Atheist, Says Verghese Kurien's Daughter On Conversion Charge|work=[[NDTV]]|date=26 November 2018|access-date=1 June 2024|archive-date=27 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181127122238/https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/verghese-kurien-was-an-atheist-says-daughter-on-conversion-charge-1953584|url-status=live}}</ref>


Kurien's support was crucial in making the "[[Amul girl]]" ad campaign as one of the longest running,<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/business/jest-like-that-girl-with-the-amul-tattoo/story-0lNH47ZLJ7eWE5xsrm2gGO.html|title=Jest like that: Girl with the Amul tattoo|last=Hazra|first=Indrajit|date=1 July 2012|newspaper=The Hindustan Times|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.creativebrandsmag.com/post.php?57|title=The Moppet Show|last=Sreenivas|date=1 November 2013|website=Creative Brands|access-date=28 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918142958/http://www.creativebrandsmag.com/post.php?57|archive-date=18 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> and ''[[Surabhi (TV series)|Surabhi]]'', a TV series on Indian culture fetching millions of postcards from viewers, one of the longest running on national television during the 1990s<ref name="Kurien Reference1" />.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/media/the-unplanned-glory-of-surabhi/60286032|title=The unplanned glory of Surabhi|last=Bhatt|first=Shephali|date=2 September 2017|website=ETBrandEquity.com|language=en|access-date=10 September 2017}}</ref>
== Awards and honours ==
 
For his contributions in increasing the dairy output, Kurien is known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/national-milk-day-2023-history-significance-and-theme-18410761.htm|title=National Milk Day 2023: History, significance and theme|date=26 November 2023|access-date=1 June 2024|work=CNBC|archive-date=9 December 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231209065617/https://www.cnbctv18.com/india/national-milk-day-2023-history-significance-and-theme-18410761.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://businessworld.in/article/father-of-white-revolution-kurien-dead-66932|title=Father Of 'White Revolution' Kurien|date=8 November 2014|access-date=1 June 2024|work=[[Business World]]|archive-date=16 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240716132654/https://businessworld.in/article/father-of-white-revolution-kurien-dead-66932|url-status=live}}</ref> Kurien's birthday, 26 November is celebrated as the "National Milk Day" in India.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/STATE-EDITIONS/bhopal/verghese-kuriens-birth-anniv-to-be-held-as-national-milk-day.html|title=Verghese Kurien's birth anniv to be held as National Milk Day|date=25 November 2014|newspaper=[[Daily Pioneer]]|access-date=28 August 2016|archive-date=16 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916090331/http://www.dailypioneer.com/STATE-EDITIONS/bhopal/verghese-kuriens-birth-anniv-to-be-held-as-national-milk-day.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/National-Milk-Day-on-Kuriens-birth-anniversary/articleshow/45271027.cms|title=National Milk Day on Kurien's birth anniversary|newspaper=[[The Times of India]]|date=25 November 2014|access-date=6 December 2016|archive-date=29 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129114928/http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/National-Milk-Day-on-Kuriens-birth-anniversary/articleshow/45271027.cms|url-status=live}}</ref>
In 2013, [[Amar Chitra Katha]] published the comic book ''Verghese Kurien: The Man with the Billion Litre idea''<ref name="Kurien Reference1" />.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/PGSh77SpoycUtWuD4vssyK/Lounge-Loves--Amar-Chitra-Katha.html|title=Lounge Loves {{!}} Amar Chitra Katha|last=Ramnath|first=Nandini|date=30 November 2013|website=[[Live Mint]]|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/amar-chitra-katha-unveils-comics-on-kurien-plans-on-dhyanchand-kd-jadhav/article5393898.ece|title=Amar Chitra Katha unveils comics on Kurien; plans on Dhyanchand, KD Jadhav |newspaper=[[Business Line]] |last=Pandit|first=Virendra|date=26 November 2013|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref> Book was given the synopsis 'The story of Dr. Kurien is the story of Amul.<ref name="Kurien Reference1" />
 
==Death==
Kurien died from an illness at the age of 90 on 9 September 2012 at a [[Nadiad]] hospital,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.telegraphindia.com/1120910/jsp/nation/story_15958717.jsp|title=Kurien didn't drink milk, he lived it|date=10 September 2012|website=The Telegraph|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-09-11/ahmedabad/33762051_1_kurien-and-modi-gujarat-chief-minister-india-s-white-revolution|title=Modi had soured relations with the milkman of India|date=11 September 2012|newspaper=Times of India|access-date=11 September 2012}}</ref> near Anand.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-15/news/33862984_1_verghese-kurien-kurien-and-modi-gujarat-co-operative|title=Gujarat Elections 2012: Narendra Modi wastes no time in tapping over 1/3 of Gujarat's 3.5 crore Amul voters|last1=Thakkar|first1=Mitul|last2=Sally|first2=Madhvi|date=15 September 2012|website=The Economic Times|access-date=29 August 2016}}</ref> His wife, Molly,<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> hosted the visitors in Anand. Kurien was brought up as a Christian before becoming an atheist.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://indianexpress.com/article/india/he-was-an-atheist-religion-played-no-part-in-his-life-says-kuriens-daughter-5466180/|title=He was an atheist, religion played no part in his life, says Kurien's daughter}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/verghese-kurien-was-an-atheist-says-daughter-on-conversion-charge-1953584|title=He Was An Atheist, Says Verghese Kurien's Daughter On Conversion Charge}}</ref> He was cremated<ref>Kurien, Verghese. "I AM: Verghese Kurien." The Times of India. N.p., 1 April 2006. Web. "When I was young, I had to memorise parts of the Bible and perform rituals. It was perhaps this experience that turned me into an atheist."</ref><ref>Gandhi, A. K. Verghese Kurien. N.p.: Prabhat Prakashan, n.d. Print. "He was an atheist"</ref><ref>"Verghese Kurien." The Economist. N.p., 22 September 2012. Web. 28 October 2016. "He was born a Christian, became an atheist..."</ref> and is survived by a daughter, Nirmala,<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /> and grandson.<ref name="Verghese Kurien life" /><ref name=":0" />
 
==Awards and honours==
In 2014, all the major dairy groups in the country, along with the Indian Dairy Association, resolved to observe Kurien's birthday, 26 November, as National Milk Day.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/National-Milk-Day-on-Kuriens-birth-anniversary/articleshow/45271027.cms|title=National Milk Day on Kurien's birth anniversary|work=[[The Times of India]]|date=25 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/vadodara/Anand-to-celebrate-National-Milk-Day-in-Kuriens-memory/articleshow/55628273.cms|title= National Milk day|work= The Times of India|date=26 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Hans/2015-11-27/National-Milk-Day-celebrated/189180|title=National Milk Day celebrated|date=27 November 2015|website=The Hans India|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/thiruvananthapuram/2014/11/24/Milma-to-Celebrate-National-Milk-Day/article2537876.ece|title=Milma to Celebrate National Milk Day|date=24 November 2014|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://businesswireindia.com/news/news-details/india-celebrates-national-milk-day/41663|title=India Celebrates National Milk Day|date=24 November 2014|website=businesswireindia.com|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypioneer.com/STATE-EDITIONS/bhopal/verghese-kuriens-birth-anniv-to-be-held-as-national-milk-day.html|title=Verghese Kurien's birth anniv to be held as National Milk Day|date=25 November 2014|website=www.dailypioneer.com|access-date=28 August 2016}}</ref> He had been bestowed with honorary degrees by the Michigan State University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.<ref name="Kurien Reference1" />


{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|+Awards and honors
|-
|-
! Year !!Award or honor !! Awarding organization
! Year !!Award or honor !! Awarding organization
|-
|-
| 1999
| 1963
| [[Padma Vibhushan]]<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf#page=106 |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014  }}</ref>
| [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rmaward.asia/awardee/kurien-verghese|title=Kurien, Verghese • Community Leadership – India – 1963|work=The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation|access-date=10 September 2023|archive-date=22 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322084844/https://www.rmaward.asia/awardee/kurien-verghese|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Ramon Magsaysay Award | Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
|-
| 1965
| [[Padma Shri]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1965-1965&Award=Padma%20Shri|title=Padma Shri, 1965|publisher=[[Government of India]]|access-date=1 July 2023|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707110653/https://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1965-1965&Award=Padma%20Shri|url-status=live}}</ref>
| [[Government of India]]
|-
| 1966
| [[Padma Bhushan]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1965-1965&Award=Padma%20Bhushan|title=Padma Bhushan, 1965|publisher=[[Government of India]]|access-date=1 July 2023|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707111149/https://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1965-1965&Award=Padma%20Bhushan|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Government of India
| Government of India
|-
|-
| 1997
| 1986
| [[Order of Agricultural Merit]]
| [[Wateler Peace Prize]]<ref name="WFP VK"/>
| [[Ministry of Agriculture (France)|Ministry of Agriculture, France]]
| [[Carnegie Foundation (Netherlands)|Carnegie Foundation]]
|-
| 1993
| International Person of the Year
| World Dairy Expo
|-
|-
| 1989
| 1989
| [[World Food Prize]]<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /><ref name="WFP VK">{{cite web|url=http://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/laureates/19871999_laureates/1989_kurien/ |title=Dr. Verghese Kurien – The World Food Prize |publisher=[[World Food Prize]]|access-date=12 August 2016}}</ref>
| [[World Food Prize]]<ref name="WFP VK">{{cite web|url=https://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/laureates/19871999_laureates/1989_kurien/|title=Dr. Verghese Kurien – The World Food Prize|publisher=[[World Food Prize]]|access-date=12 August 2023|archive-date=16 September 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130916041457/https://www.worldfoodprize.org/en/laureates/19871999_laureates/1989_kurien/|url-status=live}}</ref>
| World Food Prize Foundation
| World Food Prize Foundation
|-
|-
| 1986
| 1997
| [[Wateler Peace Prize]]<ref name="WFP VK"/>  
| [[Order of Agricultural Merit]]<ref name="WFP VK"/>
| [[Carnegie Foundation (Netherlands)|Carnegie Foundation]] (Netherlands)
| [[Ministry of Agriculture (France)|Ministry of Agriculture, France]]
|-
|-
| 1986
| 1999
| Krishi Ratna
| [[Padma Vibhushan]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1999-1999|title=Padma Awards, 1999|publisher=[[Government of India]]|access-date=1 July 2023|archive-date=20 May 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230520233657/https://dashboard-padmaawards.gov.in/?Year=1999-1999|url-status=live}}</ref>
| Government of India
|-
| 1966
| [[Padma Bhushan]]<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf#page=21 |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014  }}</ref>
| Government of India
|-
| 1965
| [[Padma Shri]]<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf#page=20 |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6U68ulwpb?url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 November 2014  }}</ref>
| Government of India
| Government of India
|-
|-
| 1963
| 2011
| [[Ramon Magsaysay Award]]<ref name="Kurien Reference1" /><ref name="Varghese Reference1">{{cite news |title=Amul remembers Tribhuvandas on his birth anniversary |url=https://www.indiancooperative.com/co-op-news-snippets/amul-remembers-tribhuvandas-on-his-birth-anniversary/ |access-date=10 March 2021 |publisher=Indian Cooperative |date=23 October 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://rmaward.asia/awardees/kurien-verghese/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170823070840/http://rmaward.asia/awardees/kurien-verghese/|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 August 2017|title=Kurien, Verghese • Community Leadership – India – 1963|last=The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation|website=rmaward.asia|language=en-US|access-date=10 September 2017}}</ref>
| [[Karmaveer Chakra Award]]<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sikkimexpress.com/news-details/un-karmaveer-chakra-award-for-sikkimese-social-entrepreneur|title=UN Karmaveer lifetime achievement award|work=Sikkim Express|date=11 December 2023|access-date=1 June 2024}}</ref>
| Ramon Magsaysay Award|Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
| [[United Nations]] and Indian Confederation of NGOs<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.undp.org/india/publications/unv-karamveer-chakra-national-medallion-proactive-volunteer-action|title=Karamveer Chakra: National Medallion for proactive Volunteer Action|access-date=1 June 2024|work=[[United Nations Development Programme]]}}</ref>
|}
|}


Kurien either headed or was on the boards of several public institutions and received honorary doctorate degrees from universities worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://indairyasso.org/pdf/info/Dr-Kurien.pdf |title=The Legend Lives On |access-date=6 May 2020 |author=Indian Dairy Association }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.drkurien.com/achievement.html |title=Dr. Verghese Kurien: Honorary Degrees |access-date=3 July 2014 |author=Verghese Kurien |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714164443/http://www.drkurien.com/achievement.html |archive-date=14 July 2014  }}</ref> Lectures by eminent speakers are held in his memory to apply "lessons from the dairy sector" through his work<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irma.ac.in/pdf/viewdocument/memoriallecture1.pdf |title=First Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Lecture – 2012 |author=Institute of Rural management, Anand }}</ref> to ongoing rural issues such as "an Amul model for pulses",<ref>{{cite news|title =Arvind Subramanian moots 'Amul model' for pulses|newspaper = Business Standard|date = 21 November 2015| url =http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/arvind-subramanian-moots-amul-model-for-pulses-115112100763_1.html |access-date=25 November 2015}}</ref> to pass down management strategies for rural India's social organisation,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.irma.ac.in/pdf/viewdocument/memoriallecture2.pdf |title=Second Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Lecture – 2013 |author=Institute of Rural management, Anand }}</ref> or to use his work to fundraise and promote "growth with justice".<ref>{{cite news|author = Jhimli Mukherjee Pandey|title =XLRI holds Dr. Verghese Kurien memorial oration on sustainable development|newspaper = Times of India|date = 9 September 2014| url =http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ranchi/XLRI-holds-Dr-Verghese-Kurien-memorial-oration-on-sustainable-development/articleshow/42111904.cms}}</ref> Kurien was also awarded the Red & White Lifetime Achievements National Award (now known as Godfrey Phillips Bravery Awards).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://achyutasamanta.com/posts/godfrey-phillips-bravery-award-social-bravery-for-kiit-kiss-founder/|title=Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award (Social Bravery) for KIIT & KISS Founder|date=21 September 2011|website=Achyuta Samanta|language=en-US|access-date=7 January 2020}}</ref>
Kurien was bestowed with an honorary degree by the Michigan State University in 1965.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0pQcAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA16-PA9|title=Indian Cooperative: A beacon of development|first=Orion|last=Ulrey|publisher=News for Farmer Cooperatives: Volumes 31-34|year=1964|page=9|access-date=13 July 2024|archive-date=15 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240715123154/https://www.google.co.in/books/edition/News_for_Farmer_Cooperatives/0pQcAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=RA16-PA9|url-status=live}}</ref> During the [[World Dairy Expo]] in 1993, he was recognized as the International Person of the Year.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://worlddairyexpo.com/pages/Recognition-Award-Program.php|title=Recognition award prograame|publisher=[[World Dairy Expo]]|access-date=1 July 2023|archive-date=7 July 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240707111122/https://worlddairyexpo.com/pages/Recognition-Award-Program.php|url-status=live}}</ref>  Kurien was also awarded the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award for social bravery.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://achyutasamanta.com/posts/godfrey-phillips-bravery-award-social-bravery-for-kiit-kiss-founder/|title=Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award (Social Bravery) for KIIT & KISS Founder|date=21 September 2011|website=Achyuta Samanta|access-date=7 January 2020|archive-date=28 August 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210828014844/https://achyutasamanta.com/posts/godfrey-phillips-bravery-award-social-bravery-for-kiit-kiss-founder/|url-status=live}}</ref>  
 
Kurien either headed or was on the boards of several public institutions and received honorary doctorate degrees from universities worldwide.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://indairyasso.org/pdf/info/Dr-Kurien.pdf|title=The Legend Lives On|access-date=6 May 2020|author=Indian Dairy Association|archive-date=15 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215034442/http://indairyasso.org/pdf/info/Dr-Kurien.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="IDA"/> The cooperative model pioneered by Kurien is studied in academia with lectures on the same.<ref>{{cite report|url=https://www.irma.ac.in/pdf/viewdocument/memoriallecture2.pdf|title=Second Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Lecture – 2013|publisher=Institute of Rural management, Anand|access-date=1 June 2024|archive-date=15 February 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230215034443/https://www.irma.ac.in/pdf/viewdocument/memoriallecture2.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Arvind Subramanian moots 'Amul model' for pulses|newspaper=[[Business Standard]]|date=21 November 2015|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/arvind-subramanian-moots-amul-model-for-pulses-115112100763_1.html|access-date=25 November 2015|archive-date=25 November 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151125222712/http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/arvind-subramanian-moots-amul-model-for-pulses-115112100763_1.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
 
== Books and publications ==
* {{cite book|author=Kurien, Verghese|year=1997|title=An Unfinished Dream|publisher=[[Tata McGraw Hill]]|isbn=978-0-07462-214-8}}
* {{cite book|author=Kurien, Verghese|year=2005|title=I Too Had a Dream|publisher=APH Publishing|isbn=978-8-17436-407-4}}
* {{cite book|author=Kurien, Verghese|year=2012|title=The Man Who Made The Elephant Dance|publisher=[[The Times Group]]|isbn=978-9-38229-924-0}}


== Notes ==
== In popular culture ==
{{notelist|notes=
Filmmaker [[Shyam Benegal]] wanted to make ''[[Manthan]]'', a film story based on Amul but had no financial backing. The movie was later made from financial contribution from member-farmers of co-operatives, who contributed two rupees each and was released in 1976.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/how-a-farmers-servant-painted-the-nation-white/story-w5muyu4dpzbC3Huk5XYRbK.html|title=How a farmers' servant painted the nation white|last=Benegal|first=Shyam|date=9 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindustan Times]]|access-date=28 August 2016|archive-date=19 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919052127/http://www.hindustantimes.com/india/how-a-farmers-servant-painted-the-nation-white/story-w5muyu4dpzbC3Huk5XYRbK.html|url-status=live}}</ref> A veterinarian, a milk technician, and a fodder specialist toured the country along with the screening of the film to persuade farmers to form cooperatives of their own with [[UNDP|United Nations]] using the movie to encourage similar cooperatives in [[Latin America]] and [[Africa]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Amul's Verghese Kurien never suffered fools: Shyam Benegal|access-date=11 September 2012|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]|date=10 September 2012|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-10/news/33737291_1_verghese-kurien-white-revolution-amul-products|archive-date=10 June 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150610174923/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2012-09-10/news/33737291_1_verghese-kurien-white-revolution-amul-products|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.island.lk/2002/01/06/featur10.html|title=Cinema, Benegal and Reality|last=Rodrigo|first=Nihal|date=6 January 2002|newspaper=[[The Island (Sri Lanka)|The Island]]|access-date=29 August 2016|archive-date=10 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910224741/http://www.island.lk/2002/01/06/featur10.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{efn|name=Maniben|Maniben, Sardar Patel's daughter and a ruling party MP from nearby became a family-friend and a constant supporter. Morarji Desai, a minister in the Bombay government and later its chief minister, acted as a link with the top political leadership in the state and in Delhi, many times, over the duration of the dairy's growth. Lallan Prasad Singh, home secretary (ICS), coordinated Kurien's lobbying with the then Delhi bureaucrats, post-Shastri visit. Earlier, Vishnu Sahay, agriculture secretary (ICS), had arranged sponsorship under the Colombo Plan for his New Zealand training. All of these people visited, stayed at Anand with rough or basic facilities but left impressed with the work there}}
 
<!--{{efn|name=PM|The PM on a scheduled visit, headed impromptu, straight to villages around, before entering Anand, stayed and mingled with farmers overnight with no official present there. Finding the soil, weather, cattle-breeds and milk yield there nothing extraordinary, only then did he meet Kurien for the first time, the next day, and asked him what then was the reason for his success. Kurien replied it was due to just one fact, that the farmers had come together and formed a democratic structure of a cooperative union and they ran it as owners by employing professionals, with no governmental oversight while evading 'capture by the elite' sections of society}}-->
Kurien supported the "[[Amul girl]]" [[advertisement]] campaign, which is one of the longest running campaigns in India and ''[[Surabhi (TV series)|Surabhi]]'', a [[television]] series on Indian culture.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/business/jest-like-that-girl-with-the-amul-tattoo/story-0lNH47ZLJ7eWE5xsrm2gGO.html|title=Jest like that: Girl with the Amul tattoo|last=Hazra|first=Indrajit|date=1 July 2012|newspaper=[[The Hindustan Times]]|access-date=28 August 2016|archive-date=19 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919044118/http://www.hindustantimes.com/business/jest-like-that-girl-with-the-amul-tattoo/story-0lNH47ZLJ7eWE5xsrm2gGO.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.creativebrandsmag.com/post.php?57|title=The Moppet Show|last=Sreenivas|date=1 November 2013|website=Creative Brands|access-date=28 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918142958/http://www.creativebrandsmag.com/post.php?57|archive-date=18 September 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/media/the-unplanned-glory-of-surabhi/60286032|title=The unplanned glory of Surabhi|last=Bhatt|first=Shephali|date=2 September 2017|newspaper=[[The Economic Times]]|access-date=10 September 2017|archive-date=11 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911025521/http://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/media/the-unplanned-glory-of-surabhi/60286032|url-status=live}}</ref>
{{efn|name=MNL|"Mountains of milk powder" and "lakes of butter oil" were formed from the production glut from farms in Europe which were recombined into liquid milk when they reached India}}
 
}}
In 2013, [[Amar Chitra Katha]] published the [[comic book|comic]] ''Verghese Kurien: The man with the billion litre idea''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/PGSh77SpoycUtWuD4vssyK/Lounge-Loves--Amar-Chitra-Katha.html|title=Lounge Loves {{!}} Amar Chitra Katha|last=Ramnath|first=Nandini|date=30 November 2013|website=[[Live Mint]]|access-date=29 August 2016|archive-date=13 August 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160813032200/http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/PGSh77SpoycUtWuD4vssyK/Lounge-Loves--Amar-Chitra-Katha.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/amar-chitra-katha-unveils-comics-on-kurien-plans-on-dhyanchand-kd-jadhav/article5393898.ece|title=Amar Chitra Katha unveils comics on Kurien; plans on Dhyanchand, KD Jadhav|newspaper=[[Business Line]]|last=Pandit|first=Virendra|date=26 November 2013|access-date=29 August 2016|archive-date=11 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140511163517/http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/amar-chitra-katha-unveils-comics-on-kurien-plans-on-dhyanchand-kd-jadhav/article5393898.ece|url-status=live}}</ref>


== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
{{Reflist}}


==Further reading==
=== Bibliography ===
* {{Cite book|author=Kotler, Neil G.|date=1990|title=Sharing Innovation: Global Perspectives on Food, Agriculture, and Rural Development|publisher=Int. Rice Res. Inst.|isbn=9789711042219}}
* {{cite book|title=The Amul India Story|last=Heredia|first=Ruth|publisher=[[Tata McGraw Hill]]|year=1997|isbn=978-0-07463-160-7|location=New Delhi}}
* {{Cite book|author=Kachru, Upendra|date=2011|title=India, Land of a Billion Entrepreneurs|publisher=Pearson Education India|isbn=9788131758618}}
* {{cite book|author=Kotler, Neil G.|year=1990|title=Sharing Innovation: Global Perspectives on Food, Agriculture, and Rural Development|publisher=International Rice Research Institute|isbn=978-9-71104-221-9}}
* {{cite book|last=Menon|first=Gita|title=Remembering Our Leaders: Volume 12|year=1989|isbn=978-8-17011-988-3|publisher=[[Children's Book Trust]]|page=85}}


== Literary work ==
== External links ==
* Kurien, Verghese (2005) ''I Too Had a Dream''. APH Publishing Corp. {{ISBN|9788174364074}}
* Kurien, Verghese (1997) ''An Unfinished Dream''. Tata-McGraw-Hill. {{ISBN|9780074622148}}
* Kurien, Verghese (2012) ''The Man Who Made The Elephant Dance'' {{ISBN|9789382299240}}


==External links==
{{commons category|Verghese Kurien}}
* [http://www.drkurien.com/ Official Website of Verghese Kurien]
* [http://www.amul.com/m/dr-v-kurien Official Biography – Amul]
* [http://www.india-seminar.com/2001/498/498%20verghese%20kurien.htm The Amul Saga] by Verghese Kurien
* [[Amul]]'s [[c:File:GujaratCalling.pdf|25th Anniversary Celebrations]]
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Trade & Industry}}
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{Padma Vibhushan Awards}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1960–1969}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 1960–1969}}
{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Trade & Industry}}
{{RMA winners of India}}
{{RMA winners of India}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}
{{Padma Award winners of Kerala}}
Line 204: Line 154:
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian engineers]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian businesspeople]]
[[Category:Winners of the World Food Prize]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Kozhikode]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Kozhikode]]
[[Category:Indian cooperative organizers]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure]]
[[Category:Engineers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Engineers from Kerala]]
[[Category:Indian cooperative organisers]]
[[Category:Indian atheists]]
[[Category:Indian atheists]]
[[Category:Indian chief executives]]
[[Category:Indian chief executives]]
[[Category:Indian mechanical engineers]]
[[Category:Indian social entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Indian social entrepreneurs]]
[[Category:Loyola College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:Loyola College, Chennai alumni]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Malayali people]]
[[Category:Michigan State University alumni]]
[[Category:Michigan State University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Kerala]]
[[Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners]]
[[Category:Ramon Magsaysay Award winners]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Agricultural Merit]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Order of Agricultural Merit]]
Line 222: Line 170:
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Vibhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]
[[Category:University of Madras alumni]]
[[Category:Agriculture and food award winners]]

Latest revision as of 21:59, 10 March 2026


Verghese Kurien
Kurien in 2009
Born(1921-11-26)26 November 1921
Calicut, Madras Presidency, British India (now Kozhikode, Kerala, India)
Died9 September 2012(2012-09-09) (aged 90)
Nadiad, Gujarat, India
Alma mater
Occupationdairy engineer
social entrepreneur
EmployerAmul
Organisation
Known forWhite Revolution in India
AwardsRamon Magsaysay Award (1964)
Padma Shri (1965)
Padma Bhushan (1966)
World Food Prize (1989)
Order of Agricultural Merit (1997)
Padma Vibhushan (1999)
Websitewww.drkurien.com

Verghese Kurien (26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012) was an Indian dairy engineer and social entrepreneur. He led initiatives that contributed to the extensive increase in milk production in India termed as the White Revolution.

Kurien graduated in physics from the University of Madras in 1940 and received his masters in mechanical engineering from the Michigan State University in 1947. In 1949, Kurien was sent by the Government of India to run its experimental creamery at Anand, where he set up the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union in 1950 which later became Amul. Amul organised the dairy farmers in the villages as a part of cooperatives and linked them to the milk consumers directly, eliminating the need for middlemen.

In 1965, Kurien was appointed as the head of the newly formed National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which helped to set up similar cooperatives across India and made dairy farming one of the largest self-sustaining industries and employment generators in rural areas. The dairy cooperatives were successful in increasing the milk production as the dairy farmers controlled the procurement, processing, and marketing as the owners of the cooperative. This led to a multi-fold increase in milk output over the next few decades and helped India become the world's largest milk producer in 1998. The co-operative model was later applied to other agricultural industries in India such as the production of edible oils and replicated in other countries.

For his contributions in increasing the dairy output, Kurien is known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1964 and the World Food Prize in 1989. In 1999, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour. He was conferred the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Government in 1997.

Early life and education[edit | edit source]

Kurien was born on 26 November 1921 in Calicut, Madras Presidency, British India (now Kozhikode, Kerala, India) in a Malayali Syrian Christian family.[1] His father was a government civil surgeon and Kurien did his schooling at Diamond Jubilee Higher Secondary School at Gobichettipalayam, where his father worked at the government hospital there.[2][3] He graduated in physics from Loyola College in 1940 and received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy, affiliated to the University of Madras, in 1943.[2][4]

Kurien wanted to join the Indian army as an engineer but instead he worked with Tata Steel Technical Institute in Jamshedpur.[5][6] Kurien applied for a scholarship provided by the Government of India to study metallurgical engineering but instead received a scholarship to study dairy engineering.[7] He was sent to train at the Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry in Bangalore before being sent to the United States on a government scholarship.[8] He graduated with a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Michigan State University in 1948.[9][10][11] Kurien had stated that though he was sent on a government scholarship to study dairy engineering, he studied metallurgical and nuclear engineering, disciplines which were likely to be of far greater use to the soon-to-be independent India and to himself. [12][13]

Career[edit | edit source]

Early years[edit | edit source]

In 1949, Kurien was sent by the government of India to its experimental creamery at Anand in Bombay province (currently in Gujarat).[2][8] He spent the evenings helping Tribhuvandas Patel with fixing the dairy equipment used for processing the milk procured from the local farmers.[14][15] Earlier in 1946, Patel had set up a cooperative at Kaira. It was formed as a response to the exploitation of small dairy farmers by traders and agents, who set arbitrary milk prices on behalf of Polson, which had a near-total monopoly in milk collection from Kaira.[16] Kurien wanted to quit the government job and leave Anand but was persuaded by Patel to stay with him to help with his dairy cooperative.[17][18]

Developing Amul[edit | edit source]

Kurien (left) with Tribhuvandas Patel (centre) and H. M. Dalaya at Anand

Kurien developed the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited (KDCMPUL) further which later became Amul.[19] Milk collection was decentralised and was directly procured from the farmers at villages as a part of the cooperatives.[2][20][21] Kurien and Tribhuvandas Patel were supported by Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Morarji Desai to help organise the dairy farmers.[22] Kurien worked on the belief that economic self-interest of all sections of the village-society would make them align together to grow their cooperative and remove caste or class conflicts.[23] The cooperative dairying venture was expanded to the nearby districts and was involved in the training of dairy students.[24][25][26] By 1952, the daily milk procurement reached 20,000 litres from a mere 200 litres per day in 1948.[27]

In 1956, Kurien visited Nestle in Switzerland at their invitation but with special instructions from the commerce and industries minister. Nestle was importing milk powder, sugar and other materials required to produce condensed milk in India. Kurien asked Nestle to reduce the imports to India, to try manufacturing condensed milk with buffalo milk procured locally and to engage more Indians in the production process. He was met with a refusal stating that the natives would not be able to handle the technology involved in the condensed milk production.[28][29] On returning, he increased the production of condensed milk at Amul, the import of which was banned by Government of India two years later.[30] H. M. Dalaya, who studied dairy engineering with Kurien at the US, was persuaded by Kurien to work with him at Anand.[31][32] He helped develop an indigenous process of making skimmed milk powder and condensed milk from buffalo milk, which had a higher proportion of milk solids and increased its economic value.[33] In India, buffalo milk was plentiful while cow milk was in short supply.[34] With the production of condensed milk and baby food from Buffalo milk, Amul competed successfully against Nestle and Glaxo.[35][36]

The then Commerce minister T T Krishnamachari also cut imports of butter in steps with Kurien promising and delivering an incremental increase of his production to substitute imported butter, especially from New Zealand.[37] During the Sino-Indian War in 1962, production had to be diverted to the Indian armed forces which allowed Polson to gain market share. Kurien lobbied with the government to freeze Polson's production lines, as part of the war effort.[38][27] Later research by G. H. Wilster led to cheese production from buffalo milk at Amul.[39][40]

Nationwide expansion[edit | edit source]

Kurien with then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri in 1964

When then Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri visited Anand to inaugurate Amul's cattle feed factory in October 1964, he interacted with the dairy farmers about their cooperative. In 1965, Shastri tasked Kurien to replicate the dairy's Anand scheme nationwide, for which the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) was founded.[41][27] It was established as a society based at Anand and was led by Kurien.[42][43]

Kurien negotiated with FAO and UNICEF of the United Nations, and the World Bank for aid to develop the cooperatives as a part of "Operation Flood".[44][45] In the first phase between 1970 and 1979, he focused on choosing the 18 best milk sheds across the country, setting up dairy cooperatives and linking them with nearby major cities, to capture the market there.[45] The Anand model was replicated across Gujarat and Kurien brought all of them under the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) to sell their products under a single Amul brand on the 25th anniversary of establishment.[46] In the second phase between 1979 and 1985, the plan was extended to cover more than 290 towns.[45] In 1979, he established the Institute of Rural Management at Anand for training the managers involved in the milk cooperatives.[47] By 1985, there were about 4.25 million milk producers attached to 43,000 village cooperatives and milk powder production scaled up more than six times.[45]

Consolidation and self-sufficiency[edit | edit source]

In the last phase of the Operation Flood between 1985 and 1996, Kurien focused on making the cooperatives independent and self-sustaining. It involved scaling up infrastructure to increase procurement and production, establishment dairy processing facilities, focus on marketing and training management professionals.[45] In the 1990s, he lobbied and fought hard to keep multinational companies from entering the dairy business even as the country opened up due to liberalisation in 1991.[48] India became the world's largest milk producer by 1998, surpassing the United States and contributed to about 17 percent of global output in 2010–11.[49]

In 1998, he persuaded then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to appoint Amrita Patel as his successor at NDDB, whom he had groomed under him to protect NDDB's independence from the government.[50] Later, he had differences with her on the policies of Amul. While she was focused on production and yield targets with certain functions such as marketing handed over to private, Kurien felt that the arrangement would weaken the cooperative institutions of the country.[51] He resigned from the position of chairman of GCMMF in 2006 after limited support from the governing board.[52][53]

Other work[edit | edit source]

Kurien replicated the cooperative model in other agricultural industries like the production of fruits and vegetables, oil seeds and edible oil.[54][55][56] In 1979, he started the Oilseeds Growers’ Cooperative Project (OGCP) under "Operation Golden Flow". In the 1980s, more than 500,000 farmers were part of the cooperatives and "Dhara", a brand of edible oil launched by NDDB in 1988, became the country's top selling brand. In the 1990s, the project began to lose steam as the government allowed the import of edible oil from other countries after the economic liberalisation of India.[57][58]

In 1979, the Premier of Soviet Union Alexei Kosygin visited Anand and invited Kurien to the Soviet Union.[59] In 1982, Kurien visited Pakistan as a part of a World Bank mission following the request of the Government of Pakistan for aid in setting up dairy cooperatives.[60] Kurien’s work registered interest from other countries like Sri Lanka and Philippines, who wanted him to replicate the cooperative model in their countries.[60][61] China planned a similar programme based on Kurien’s initiatives.[62][63] He also served as the chairman of Tribhuvandas Foundation, a non-governmental organization which worked on woman and child health in Kheda district in Gujarat.[64]

Death[edit | edit source]

Kurien died from an illness at the age of 90 on 9 September 2012 at Nadiad near Anand.[65][66][67] With his wife Molly, he had a daughter named Nirmala.[9] Kurien, who was brought up as a Christian became an atheist later.[68][69]

Awards and honours[edit | edit source]

For his contributions in increasing the dairy output, Kurien is known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India.[70][71] Kurien's birthday, 26 November is celebrated as the "National Milk Day" in India.[72][73]

Awards and honors
Year Award or honor Awarding organization
1963 Ramon Magsaysay Award[74] Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation
1965 Padma Shri[75] Government of India
1966 Padma Bhushan[76] Government of India
1986 Wateler Peace Prize[77] Carnegie Foundation
1989 World Food Prize[77] World Food Prize Foundation
1997 Order of Agricultural Merit[77] Ministry of Agriculture, France
1999 Padma Vibhushan[78] Government of India
2011 Karmaveer Chakra Award[79] United Nations and Indian Confederation of NGOs[80]

Kurien was bestowed with an honorary degree by the Michigan State University in 1965.[81] During the World Dairy Expo in 1993, he was recognized as the International Person of the Year.[82] Kurien was also awarded the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award for social bravery.[83]

Kurien either headed or was on the boards of several public institutions and received honorary doctorate degrees from universities worldwide.[84][2] The cooperative model pioneered by Kurien is studied in academia with lectures on the same.[85][86]

Books and publications[edit | edit source]

  • Kurien, Verghese (1997). An Unfinished Dream. Tata McGraw Hill. ISBN 978-0-07462-214-8.
  • Kurien, Verghese (2005). I Too Had a Dream. APH Publishing. ISBN 978-8-17436-407-4.
  • Kurien, Verghese (2012). The Man Who Made The Elephant Dance. The Times Group. ISBN 978-9-38229-924-0.

In popular culture[edit | edit source]

Filmmaker Shyam Benegal wanted to make Manthan, a film story based on Amul but had no financial backing. The movie was later made from financial contribution from member-farmers of co-operatives, who contributed two rupees each and was released in 1976.[87] A veterinarian, a milk technician, and a fodder specialist toured the country along with the screening of the film to persuade farmers to form cooperatives of their own with United Nations using the movie to encourage similar cooperatives in Latin America and Africa.[88][89]

Kurien supported the "Amul girl" advertisement campaign, which is one of the longest running campaigns in India and Surabhi, a television series on Indian culture.[90][91][92]

In 2013, Amar Chitra Katha published the comic Verghese Kurien: The man with the billion litre idea.[93][94]

References[edit | edit source]

  1. ↑ Kamath, M. V. (1996). Milkman from Anand: The Story of Verghese Kurien. Konark Publishers. pp. 3–5. ISBN 978-8-12200-413-7.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "Dr Kurien" (PDF). Indian Dairy Association. Archived (PDF) from the original on 23 September 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  3. ↑ Madhavan, E. (1 May 2014). "Kurien visits Erode". Industrial Economist. Archived from the original on 26 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "India's Oldest Engineering College Turns 225: 6 Alumni Who Have Made Guindy Proud!". The Better India. 31 July 2018. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. ↑ "National Milk Day: 10 facts on Verghese Kurien, the Milkman of India". The Indian Express. 26 November 2018. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  6. ↑ "National Milk Day: Who was Dr Verghese Kurien, the father of the White Revolution?". CNBC TV18. 25 November 2022. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
  7. ↑ Menon 1989, p. 69.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Verghese Kurien laid foundation for co-op dairy movement". OneIndia. 9 September 2012. Archived from the original on 13 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Yardley, William (10 September 2012). "Verghese Kurien, Leader of India's Milk Cooperatives, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2016.
  10. ↑ "Dr Verghese Kurien – From mechanical engineer to milkman". Daily News and Analysis. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  11. ↑ "The man who revolutionised white". The Hindu. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 18 March 2017. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  12. ↑ Bhagat, Rasheeda (13 September 2012). "Doodh ka doodh... Kurien style". Business Line. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  13. ↑ Jean Dreze (22 September 2018). Economic Growth and Social development (PDF) (Report). XLRI. p. 7. Archived (PDF) from the original on 16 May 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2022.
  14. ↑ Menon 1989, p. 73.
  15. ↑ "Amul remembers Tribhuvandas on his birth anniversary". Indian Cooperative. 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  16. ↑ George, Shanti (1985). Operation Flood: An Appraisal of Current Indian Dairy Policy. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19561-679-8. Archived from the original on 4 April 2023. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  17. ↑ Misra, Udit (10 September 2012). "V. Kurien: India's White Knight". Forbes India. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  18. ↑ Heredia 1997, p. 65.
  19. ↑ Kenda Cunningham (2009). Rural and urban linkages: Operation flood s role in India s dairy development. International Food Policy Research Institute. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 9 July 2024.
  20. ↑ Upendra Kachru (2011). India Land of a Billion Entrepreneurs. Pearson PLC. p. 66. ISBN 978-8-13175-861-8. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  21. ↑ Thapar, Romila (2001). "The Amul Saga". Seminar (497–508): 41. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  22. ↑ Suhrud, Tridip (8 April 2006). "The magic of manthan". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 11 November 2006. Retrieved 2 February 2011.
  23. ↑ Esman, Milton J.; Uphoff, Norman T. (1982). Local Organization and Rural Development: The State of the Art (PDF) (Report). Cornell University. p. 47, 65. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 February 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2017 – via United States Agency for International Development.
  24. ↑ Report of the National Dairy Research Institute (Report No, 21) (PDF). 1961. pp. 54, 55. Archived (PDF) from the original on 14 September 2017. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  25. ↑ Menon 1989, p. 77.
  26. ↑ Heredia 1997, p. 127.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 "'Manthan' in Cannes stirs joy in Anand". The Hindustan Times. 26 May 2024. Archived from the original on 29 May 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  28. ↑ Peter Utting (2015). Social and Solidarity: Economy Beyond the Fringe. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 295. ISBN 978-1-78360-346-6. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  29. ↑ "Amul brand builder Verghese Kurien: The man who turned India into largest milk producer". The Economic Times. 10 September 2021. Archived from the original on 12 December 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  30. ↑ "The Unfinished Dream Behind Amul's Foray into the Chocolate Industry". The Wire. 18 November 2021. Archived from the original on 11 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  31. ↑ Thomas Carter. "An Improbable Dream Verghese Kurien was a transformational leader". India dairy. Archived from the original on 28 November 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  32. ↑ White revolution (PDF) (Report). Industrial Economist. 18 December 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  33. ↑ Kurien, Verghese (2007). "India' s Milk Revolution: Investing in Rural Producer Organizations". In Narayan, Deepa; Glinskaya, Elena (eds.). Ending Poverty in South Asia: Ideas that work. Washington D.C., USA: The World Bank. p. 47. ISBN 978-0-82136-876-3. Archived from the original on 9 March 2023. Retrieved 13 January 2021. If there was one technological breakthrough that revolutionized India's organized dairy industry, it was the making of skim milk powder out of buffalo milk. The man who made this possible and who had the foresight to defy the prevailing technical wisdom was H. M. Dalaya.
  34. ↑ "Seeking equity for dairy farmers in India was lifelong legacy". Michigan State University. 10 January 2018. Archived from the original on 29 November 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  35. ↑ Gurucharan Gollerkeri; Renuka Raja Rao (2024). The Making of India, 1947-2022: Pivotal People, Events, and Institutions. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-52756-141-0. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  36. ↑ Damodaran, Harish (13 September 2004). "Amul's tech wizard, Dalaya passes away". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 27 June 2014. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
  37. ↑ Ghosh, Abhijit (8 May 2013). Embeddedness and dynamics of growth: Case of Amul (PDF) (Report). United Nations Research Institute for Social Development. p. 12. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 8 October 2017.
  38. ↑ Kavita Agarwal (2022). Service Above Self. BFC Publications. p. 34. ISBN 978-9-35632-880-8. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024.
  39. ↑ A.K.Gandhi (2021). Milking Revolution: Verghese Kurien's Dairy Innovations. Prabhat Prakashan. p. 4. ISBN 978-8-18430-469-5. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 7 July 2024. G.H. Wilster led to making cheese from buffalo milk, which benefited the movement greatly
  40. ↑ Heredia 1997, p. 168.
  41. ↑ Pandit, Shrinivas (2001). Thought Leaders. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill. pp. 147–148. ISBN 978-0-07049-550-0. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  42. ↑ Dasgupta, Manas (9 September 2012). "Kurien strode like a titan across the bureaucratic barriers and obstacles". The Hindu. Archived from the original on 19 January 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  43. ↑ Amrita Patel. "NDDB's Role in the White Revolution and Challenges Ahead". India Dairy. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  44. ↑ Civilization Follows the Cow (PDF) (Report). UNICEF. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 June 2011. Retrieved 27 August 2016.
  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 45.2 45.3 45.4 "India's Milk Revolution: Investing in Rural Producer Organizations". Reducing Poverty, Sustaining Growth: What Works, What Doesn't, and Why A Global Exchange for Scaling Up Success (PDF) (Report). World Bank. 25 May 2004. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 March 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  46. ↑ Gupta, Sharad. "Remembering Verghese Kurien – India's first milkman". Business Line. Archived from the original on 21 October 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  47. ↑ Menon 1989, p. 85.
  48. ↑ Candler, Wilfred; Kumar, Nalini (1998). India: The Dairy Revolution : the Impact of Dairy Development in India and the World Bank's Contribution. World Bank (Operations Evaluation Department). pp. 57–60. ISBN 978-0-82134-289-3. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  49. ↑ "India largest milk producing nation in 2010–11: NDDB". The Hindustan Times. 20 December 2011. Archived from the original on 26 April 2013. Retrieved 9 September 2012.
  50. ↑ Pandit, Shrinivas (1 August 2007). The Missionary: Amrita Patel. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. p. 20. ISBN 978-0-07065-678-9. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  51. ↑ Katakam, Anupama (15 March 2003). "Dairy war". Frontline. Archived from the original on 29 August 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2017.
  52. ↑ Katakam, Anupama (7 April 2006). "Controversy: Milkman's exit". Frontline. Vol. 23, no. 6. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  53. ↑ Mahurkar, Uday (17 April 2006). "A White Evolution: Verghese Kurien quits Gujarat co-operative, diary [sic] body faces politicking risk". India Today. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  54. ↑ Aneja, R. P. (11 September 2012). "Life and times of Verghese Kurien". The Hindu Business Line. Archived from the original on 13 September 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  55. ↑ Singh, Chamder Uday (15 January 1982). "Gujarat: Taking on the oil kings". India Today. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  56. ↑ Jones, Clayton (30 July 1982). "Farming co-ops poised to come of age in the '80s". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Archived from the original on 27 September 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
  57. ↑ Harish Damodaran (26 November 2021). "Dr Verghese Kurien: A practical idealist". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  58. ↑ Rinchen Norbu Wangchu (9 December 2020). "Operation Golden Flow: India's Atmanirbhar Success Story That Gave Birth to 'Dhara'". The Better India. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  59. ↑ M. V. Kamath (1989). Management Kurien-style: The Story of the White Revolution. Konark Publishers. p. 238, 239. ISBN 978-8-12200-100-6. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
  60. ↑ 60.0 60.1 "National Dairy Development Board to aid Pakistan in establishing two 'Anand' type centres". India Today. 15 October 1982. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  61. ↑ "Milkman's exit". Frontline. 7 April 2006. Archived from the original on 27 June 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  62. ↑ "Verghese Kurien – Showing The Milky Way". Lokmarg. 7 December 2021. Archived from the original on 22 January 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  63. ↑ "Verghese Kurien faces worst attacks on his credibility". India Today. 21 January 1984. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  64. ↑ "Amul remembers Tribhuvandas on his birth anniversary". Indian Cooperative. 23 October 2019. Archived from the original on 31 August 2021. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
  65. ↑ "Kurien didn't drink milk, he lived it". The Telegraph. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 September 2012. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  66. ↑ "Modi had soured relations with the milkman of India". The Times of India. 11 September 2012. Archived from the original on 14 September 2012. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  67. ↑ Thakkar, Mitul; Sally, Madhvi (15 September 2012). "Gujarat Elections 2012: Narendra Modi wastes no time in tapping over 1/3 of Gujarat's 3.5 crore Amul voters". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  68. ↑ "He was an atheist, religion played no part in his life, says Kurien's daughter". The Indian Express. 27 November 2018. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  69. ↑ "He Was An Atheist, Says Verghese Kurien's Daughter On Conversion Charge". NDTV. 26 November 2018. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  70. ↑ "National Milk Day 2023: History, significance and theme". CNBC. 26 November 2023. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  71. ↑ "Father Of 'White Revolution' Kurien". Business World. 8 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 July 2024. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  72. ↑ "Verghese Kurien's birth anniv to be held as National Milk Day". Daily Pioneer. 25 November 2014. Archived from the original on 16 September 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  73. ↑ "National Milk Day on Kurien's birth anniversary". The Times of India. 25 November 2014. Archived from the original on 29 November 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  74. ↑ "Kurien, Verghese • Community Leadership – India – 1963". The Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation. Archived from the original on 22 March 2023. Retrieved 10 September 2023.
  75. ↑ "Padma Shri, 1965". Government of India. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  76. ↑ "Padma Bhushan, 1965". Government of India. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  77. ↑ 77.0 77.1 77.2 "Dr. Verghese Kurien – The World Food Prize". World Food Prize. Retrieved 12 August 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  78. ↑ "Padma Awards, 1999". Government of India. Archived from the original on 20 May 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  79. ↑ "UN Karmaveer lifetime achievement award". Sikkim Express. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  80. ↑ "Karamveer Chakra: National Medallion for proactive Volunteer Action". United Nations Development Programme. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  81. ↑ Ulrey, Orion (1964). Indian Cooperative: A beacon of development. News for Farmer Cooperatives: Volumes 31-34. p. 9. Archived from the original on 15 July 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
  82. ↑ "Recognition award prograame". World Dairy Expo. Archived from the original on 7 July 2024. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  83. ↑ "Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award (Social Bravery) for KIIT & KISS Founder". Achyuta Samanta. 21 September 2011. Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  84. ↑ Indian Dairy Association. "The Legend Lives On" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
  85. ↑ Second Dr. Verghese Kurien Memorial Lecture – 2013 (PDF) (Report). Institute of Rural management, Anand. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 February 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2024.
  86. ↑ "Arvind Subramanian moots 'Amul model' for pulses". Business Standard. 21 November 2015. Archived from the original on 25 November 2015. Retrieved 25 November 2015.
  87. ↑ Benegal, Shyam (9 September 2012). "How a farmers' servant painted the nation white". The Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  88. ↑ "Amul's Verghese Kurien never suffered fools: Shyam Benegal". The Economic Times. 10 September 2012. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 11 September 2012.
  89. ↑ Rodrigo, Nihal (6 January 2002). "Cinema, Benegal and Reality". The Island. Archived from the original on 10 September 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  90. ↑ Hazra, Indrajit (1 July 2012). "Jest like that: Girl with the Amul tattoo". The Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 19 September 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  91. ↑ Sreenivas (1 November 2013). "The Moppet Show". Creative Brands. Archived from the original on 18 September 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  92. ↑ Bhatt, Shephali (2 September 2017). "The unplanned glory of Surabhi". The Economic Times. Archived from the original on 11 September 2017. Retrieved 10 September 2017.
  93. ↑ Ramnath, Nandini (30 November 2013). "Lounge Loves | Amar Chitra Katha". Live Mint. Archived from the original on 13 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  94. ↑ Pandit, Virendra (26 November 2013). "Amar Chitra Katha unveils comics on Kurien; plans on Dhyanchand, KD Jadhav". Business Line. Archived from the original on 11 May 2014. Retrieved 29 August 2016.

Bibliography[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Retrieved from "https://en.bharatpedia.org/w/index.php?title=Verghese_Kurien&oldid=471633"
Discover more