Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis called for developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-based mechanism to check adulteration in milk and dairy products across the state.
He said this mechanism should be developed in collaboration with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT).
The directive came during a meeting at the CM’s official residence ‘Varsha’, where NDDB chairman Meenesh Shah briefed him on the board’s ongoing initiatives in Maharashtra, an official release said.
Fadnavis noted that while the NDDB has developed test strips to detect adulterants, including urea, a more advanced AI-driven system is needed to strengthen monitoring and prevention efforts.
He said the NDDB and IITs should jointly develop such a mechanism to improve detection efficiency and ensure safer dairy supply.
The CM pointed out that nearly 40 per cent of milk in the state is processed through the organised sector, while the remaining 60 per cent comes from the unorganised sector, where instances of adulteration are more prevalent. He emphasised that the government is focusing on bringing more producers and villages into the organised dairy network.
Fadnavis said a nationwide target has been set to integrate 75,000 additional villages into the cooperative dairy system, which would not only benefit farmers but also help curb adulteration. He added that the newly-developed test strips are capable of identifying urea and other contaminants and are expected to become fully operational within the next six months.
During the meeting, Shah said that efforts to revive the state-run dairy brand ‘Mahanand’ have gained momentum with the support of the state government, and about 78 per cent of the work has been completed.
He added that a new greenfield dairy project with a capacity of 3 lakh litres is being planned.
He further said that signature parlours and modern infrastructure have been set up at Mahanand premises, and the relaunch of ‘Aarey’ and ‘Mahanand’ brands will take place soon. Projects including a compressed biogas plant at Aarey Colony in Mumbai, a new dairy plant at Udgir , and a state-of-the-art facility at Butibori in Nagpur are also in the pipeline.
Shah added that milk procurement is being scaled up across 19 districts in Vidarbha and Marathwada under NDDB’s initiatives.
He also said that an advanced laboratory has been established at Mahanand Dairy under the Centre’s NPDD scheme for testing milk and dairy products.
