Ahmedabad, Feb 22 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday celebrated the success of Amul, urging the dairy brand to aim for global leadership.

Speaking to a gathering of milk producers from across Gujarat at the Motera Stadium here, the Prime Minister set a goal to double the milk processing capacity within the next five years, highlighting Amul's current standing as the world's eighth largest dairy.

'Amul, synonymous with trust, partnership, and farmer empowerment, represents a model of modernization and self-reliance,' said PM Modi.

The Prime Minister underscored the brand's role in fulfilling the nutritional needs of India and its contribution to the dream of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India). With 'a vision of transforming Amul into the world's leading dairy', PM Modi assured full governmental support, extending a "Modi guarantee" to the endeavor.

The event also inaugurated several key dairy projects across Gujarat, marking a leap in the sector's infrastructure. Among these were Amul Dairy Anand's automatic UHT plant, expansions of paneer and chocolate plants, Sabar Dairy's cheese and whey powder manufacturing plants, Sarhad Dairy's ice-cream making plant, and Dudhdhara Dairy's processing plant in Navi Mumbai. Additionally, the Rajkot Dairy Development Project was launched.

The Prime Minister expressed his gratitude to the cattle keepers, the unsung heroes behind Amul's success, and lauded the cooperative model that 'has enabled small cattle keepers to undertake significant tasks'. He recalled the foundational role of Sardar Patel in establishing Amul and the Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation, setting a precedent for future generations.

Highlighting India's status as the world's largest milk producer, with a 60 per cent growth in milk production and an annual dairy turnover of Rs 10 lakh crore, PM Modi emphasized the critical role of women, 'who constitute 70 per cent of the workforce in the dairy sector.' This, he noted, underscores the sector's contribution not only to the economy but also to empowering women across the country.

As India faces the challenges of a growing population, the Prime Minister stressed the importance of the dairy sector in meeting nutritional needs and praised the collective pledge of milk producers to expand processing capabilities.

/IANS