Operation Flood (1970-1996) took Amul's farmer-owned model national. Milk rose from 21.2 to 247.87 million tonnes.
Farmers stopped supplying the private Polson dairy and, on Sardar Patel's advice, registered their own cooperative union. It began with two village societies.
A young government engineer posted to Anand joins Tribhuvandas Patel's union and becomes its general manager. H.M. Dalaya later cracks buffalo-milk powder.
After Lal Bahadur Shastri's October 1964 visit, the National Dairy Development Board is set up to copy the Anand Pattern across India. Kurien is chairman until 1998.
EEC-donated milk powder and butter oil, supplied through the World Food Programme, are sold in Indian cities to fund dairies linking 18 milksheds to four metros.
About 500,000 dairy farmers pay Rs 2 each to finance Shyam Benegal's film about a village milk cooperative.
Phase II ends with 136 milksheds, 290 urban markets and 4.25 million producers. Phase III adds vet care, feed, breeding and women's societies.
After 26 years the programme closes. Milk output is 69.1 million tonnes in 1996-97, up from 21.2 million in 1968-69.
India becomes the world's largest milk producer, a position it has held ever since.
The Ministry of Cooperation launches a push to raise cooperative milk procurement by 50% in five years through new village societies.
Official statistics released on National Milk Day put 2024-25 output at 247.87 million tonnes, up 3.58%, or 485 g per person a day.
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