Milk is one of the most consumed beverages throughout the world. A near-perfect food source packed with vital vitamins and minerals it keeps our body healthy and strong. Milk provides proteins with a wide range of amino acids. Cultured dairy products such as yogurt, buttermilk, and some cheeses have some additional advantages. So there is no reason to not enjoy milk as a part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle!

Buffalo milk, until four decades ago was not considered a researchable commodity. The compositional uniqueness of buffalo milk has inspired dairy researchers to revisit. Compared to cow milk, cheeses made from buffalo are preferable because of desired chewing and stringing properties. Yoghurts from buffalo milk are naturally thick set without having to add milk proteins or gelling agents. Traditional Indian sweets made from khoa and chhana are also best made with buffalo milk. Technology is now available for manufacture of sweets such as rasogolla which were initially made solely from cow milk.

Indigenous dairy products are India’s largest selling and most profitable segment and account for 50 per cent of the milk produced. Global Indians are also creating a major market for Indian sweets. However branded Indian sweets did not make it big in the past because marketers did not invest enough in research and development. There were constraints regarding their shelf life. All this is now changing. The traditional milk products sector is now modernising its operations for industrial production.

Once a prime produce of sweet makers or a preserve of the homemaker, dahi (or curd) has evolved into a national packaged product with many names and brands. Widespread sale of ready made packaged dahi is more a cultural revolution than a marketing skill. Packaged dahi and probiotic, flavoured or fruit yogurt has a potential demand building up in future.