On Day 3 of my Gujarat road trip, the final stop was the AMUL Dairy factory in Anand. I was very keen on visiting the AMUL factory that brought about the White Revolution and changed the way dairy farming was practiced in India.
History of Amul
Amul or Anand Milk Union Ltd. is a milk co-operative in Anand, Gujarat. It was established in 1946 to prevent the exploitation of dairy farmers at the hands of milk middlemen and traders, particularly Polson Dairy who had a strong milk monopoly. The farmers in the region approached social leader Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel who appointed Tribhuvandas Patel and Morarji Desai to form small co-operatives.
The Amul co-operative started with only two villages but grew from strength to strength under the supervision of Dr. Verghese Kurien. With the help of H.M. Dalaya, a unique technique of making skim milk powder from buffalo milk was invented which was a milestone for AMUL and the first such invention in the world.
AMUL’s success story inspired political leaders to replicate the business model in other parts of India. It thus became instrumental in bringing about the White Revolution in India, also called the Operation Flood. Amul also played a key role to transform India from a milk deficient country to one of the largest producers of milk in the world.
Amul Factory Visit
The Amul headquarters in Anand houses a state of the art factory, dairy museum and some Amul parlors. At the Dairy museum, a guide quickly runs you through the history of Amul in the backdrop of large visually attractive collage walls.
Next, you walk towards the Amul factory where one can see how Amul products are processed and packaged. On the way, you are captivated by the sight of huge milk silo units which quickly become the best feature of your entire visit.
An employee then takes you around some of the departments like Quality Control, Packaging and show you the operations unit where skimmed milk powder is prepared. Visitors can see these huge machinery at work through large glass windows. During our visit, the guide also threw light on interesting facts like:
- The factory runs 24 hours and employees work on rotational shifts
- The entire factory is machine-run and can produce and package up to thousands of standard products in a minute
In a Nutshell:
The Amul Dairy factory was an insightful trip. It is great for school field trips and families travelling with kids. The location may be a deterrent as there is nothing else to see in the city. Best to combine this visit with a trip to Vadodara.
Things to know before your visit to Amul Factory Anand
- Ask questions proactively to the guide, since his explanation is very basic
- There is nothing to see in Anand, except the Amul headquarters, so try to club this visit with Ahmedabad or Vadodara
- If you choose to spend a night in Anand, there are hotel options like Madhuban Resort and Spa and Hotel Surabhi Regency
- We stayed at Hotel Kalyan in Vadodara and did a day trip to Anand
Amul Factory Visit – Timings
- Amul Dairy Museum visiting hours are between 2 and 4 pm
- The factory tour lasts about 45 minutes
- Entry to Amul Dairy museum is free
***
Liked this post on Amul factory, then also read…
- Aaray milk colony – A green oasis and a dying milk factory
- What to do in Ahmadabad in a few hours
- Chittorgarh Jauhar Sthal: When Rajput women chose death over ‘dishonour’
***
Further reading:
a) White as Milk and Rice: Stories of India’s isolated tribes
b) India’s White Revolution: Operation Flood, Food Aid and Development
c) I Too had a Dream by Verghese Kurien
***
Join me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for more travel stories and photographs. You can also Subscribe to this blog to receive my newsletter with cool travel stories and updates in your inbox.
amul producet is very good