How AI Is Transforming Dairy Farming for Millions of Indian Farmers
AI technology is making its biggest impact yet in rural India, specifically in Gujarat, where thousands of women farmers are now using smart tools to improve their dairy farms. Amul, India’s largest dairy cooperative, has launched a new AI-powered platform called Amul AI. This system offers personalized advice to farmers in their local languages, helping them make better decisions every day. It’s a bold move to bring advanced technology directly to the last mile of India’s farming communities.
Meet Sarlaben: The AI Dairy Assistant
Sarlaben is the name of the AI assistant that farmers can access through the Amul Farmer mobile app. The app has already been downloaded by over a million farmers across India. Farmers with simple feature phones can also call a dedicated helpline to get guidance. Sarlaben taps into India’s most detailed agricultural data, including information from Amul’s automatic milk collection system and veterinary records.
This AI tool is unique because it draws from an enormous database. It manages over 200 crore (2 billion) milk transactions each year. It also has records of veterinary treatments for more than 30 million cattle, along with data on artificial inseminations, satellite imagery for fodder mapping, and a cattle census conducted every five years. Each animal has a unique ID, allowing Sarlaben to give tailored advice based on individual cattle’s health, feed, and production history.
Why This Matters for Indian Dairy Farmers
According to Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, Amul AI aims to deliver reliable, verified information directly to farmers in a way they can understand and trust. By combining decades of data with real-time operational systems, the platform helps farmers make timely decisions that boost their cattle’s productivity. This, in turn, can increase farmers’ income and improve their livelihoods.
India is the world’s top milk producer, with 348 million tonnes produced in 2024-25, more than double what the US produces. Yet, despite this huge volume, India’s milk yield per animal remains among the lowest globally. This is mainly because most Indian dairy farmers keep small herds, feed their cattle poorly, and often lack access to veterinary care. These structural issues limit how much milk each cow can produce.
Potential Impact and Future Outlook
The launch of Amul AI is a step towards solving some of these challenges. By providing easy access to expert advice, even small-scale farmers can improve their cattle management. This can lead to healthier animals, higher milk yields, and better incomes. The platform’s design ensures that farmers in remote areas, using basic phones, are not left out of this technological shift.
As AI continues to evolve and expand in Indian agriculture, platforms like Amul AI could become models for other regions and crops. The goal is to bridge the gap between cutting-edge technology and rural farming communities. This initiative shows that with the right tools, even the smallest farmers can benefit from the digital revolution and help transform India’s dairy industry from within.















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