India has quadrupled milk production over the past 40 years and now leads the world in dairy output. But yield per cow is relatively low in quantity and quality. Shree Kamdhenu Electronics Pvt. Ltd., based in Vallabh Vidhyanagar in central Gujarat state, has designed a milk collection system to improve productivity at the grassroots level, called Akashganga.

 

Meaning 'Milky Way' in Hindi, Akashganga comprises an automated, electronic milk collection system geared toward village dairy cooperatives. It efficiently weighs milk output, indicates fat content, calculates prices payable to suppliers, and provides customer numbers and date-time labeling.

The company aims to raise smallholder income for 600,000 farmers mainly in northwestern Gujarat, parts of Maharashtra and a few other selected states by 2014. It is also working to increase efficiency in the milk collection process and improve the payment system for dairy farmers.

The company plans to replicate the Akashganga business model in other key farming states in India.