PM Modi to Inaugurate Banas Dairy’s ₹325-Crore Bovine Breeding & Research Centre

Banaskantha: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay the foundation stones for five major development projects of Banas Dairy at Bhildi on Friday, October 30, 2026. The key highlight of the event will be the dedication of the Bharat Bovine Breeding and Research Centre (BBBRC), a facility spread across 127 acres and developed at a cost of ₹325 crore.

Established with technical guidance from the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and support from the Central Government’s Rashtriya Gokul Mission, the centre aims to improve indigenous cattle breeds, enhance milk production and strengthen the dairy sector.

Shankarbhai Chaudhary, Speaker of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly and chairman of Banas Dairy, said the centre would use advanced reproductive technologies, including ovum pick-up and in-vitro fertilisation (OPU-IVF) and embryo transfer, to accelerate the breeding of high-quality cattle.

While a cow typically gives birth to one calf a year, these technologies can help produce multiple offspring from genetically superior cows over time, significantly accelerating genetic improvement. The centre has set an annual target of producing 25,000 high-quality embryos to improve the milk-producing capacity of successive generations of livestock.

The initiative is based on the principle of maintaining fewer but higher-quality animals capable of producing more milk, amid declining fodder availability and rising livestock maintenance costs.

The centre will focus on improving indigenous cattle breeds such as Kankrej, Gir, Sahiwal and Tharparkar, as well as buffalo breeds including Mehsani, Banni, Jaffrabadi and Murrah. Improved genetics are expected to help farmers increase milk yields and improve the profitability of dairy farming.

The facility is also expected to benefit small-scale livestock farmers and rural women, who play a significant role in the dairy sector. High-quality bulls, semen and embryos will be made available to farmers at affordable rates, helping improve breeding outcomes and potentially reduce milk production costs while increasing farmers’ incomes.

The initiative, developed through collaboration between Banas Dairy, technical experts and the government, is expected to strengthen the productivity of India’s indigenous livestock breeds. These breeds are valued for their adaptability to local climatic conditions and their ability to produce milk under varying feeding conditions.

The centre is expected to support the modernisation of animal husbandry, strengthen rural livelihoods and contribute to the long-term growth of India’s dairy sector. DeshGujarat