Google today honors Verghese Kurien with a doodle on the occasion of his 94th birth anniversary. Google celebrates his birth anniversary with a doodle on its India homepage showing the ‘Milkman of India’ with a can in his hand along with a buffalo in the picture. Verghese Kurien is the man behind the invention and success of ‘Amul’ which deals with a multitude of dairy products. He is a venerated personality who was branded as the ‘Father of the White Revolution’ in India, who helped place the country on the map as the largest milk producer in the world.

Social entrepreneur Verghese Kurien is recognized for transforming India from a milk-deficient country to the world’s largest milk producer. It is all because of Kurien’s effort that a small dairy farming has become India’s giant self-sustaining industry. Kurien went on to lead the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd whose Amul is one of India’s iconic brands.

Verghese Kurien – ‘Milkman of India’

Verghese Kurien was born on November 26, 1921, in Kozhikode, Kerala, Kurien. He was born to a Syrian Christian family in Calicut and graduated from Loyola College in 1940. Later, he completed his engineering from Guindy College of Engineering, Chennai. Upon completing a Masters in Mechanical Engineering in the year 1949, he returned back to India from the US and started his first tryst with milk production in Anand.

Verghese was moved by the discouraging condition of engrossed milk production at the time and then decided to dedicate his life for the empowerment of the farmers who were producing it. He also started making India as the world’s largest producer of dairy. In the year 1970, he launched Operation Flood, which terminated in building our country self-sufficient with concerns to dairy production, thus bringing in White Revolution.

“True development is not the development of land, or of cows; it is the development of men and women.”
– Dr. Verghese Kurien

Kurien had pursued some innovative ways for improving the dairy industry and with his strong perseverance he transformed India as the world’s largest milk producer which earned him recognition as the “Milkman of India.” Today is the ‘Milkman of India’ Verghese Kurien’s 94th birth anniversary and here are some interesting facts that you need to know about Kurien who is the pride of our nation.

1. Kurien was a Christian and an atheist who ate beef. Surprisingly, he disliked milk but, he never wished to make Dairying as Profession.

2. Kurien is Aptly Known as the ‘Milkman of India for his innovative ways of experimentation to produce milk powder from buffalo milk.

3. Kurien’s birthday is also celebrated as the ‘National Milk Day’, in his Remembrance!

4. His Innovative Experiments Led to the Establishment of India’s First-Ever Milk Powder Plant.

5.  Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd and National Dairy Development Board were established under his Leadership.

6. He launched the world’s biggest dairy development Programme called ‘Operation Flood’ in 1970.

7. The White Revolution initiated by him led to the development of Mother Dairy.

8. Operation Flood, in fact, Made Around 72,000 villages as Milk Producers in India.

9. In recognition of his praiseworthy work, Michigan State University awarded him with an Honorary Degree in 1965.

10. Shyam Benegal’s film ‘Manthan’ starring Smita Patil – a movie based on India’s Milk Cooperative Movement, was completely funded by the farmers working for Dr, Kurien.

11. Verghese Kurien was the genius behind the invention and success of Amul, India’s biggest brand of dairy products.

12. He authored the book ‘I Too Had A Dream’, an inspiring narration about farmer empowerment and growth of milk cooperatives across India.

13. Kurien received several high honors for his commendable work, including the esteemed Ramon Magsaysay Award, Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan.

Dr. Verghese Kurien left for his heavenly abode in the year 2012. Because of his invaluable contribution to the dairy industry, his birthday, the 26th of November is now celebrated as “National Milk Day”.