Verghese Kurien | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Kurien in 2009 | |
| Born | 26 November 1921 |
| Died | 9 September 2012 (aged 90) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation(s) | dairy engineer social entrepreneur |
| Employer | Amul |
| Organisations |
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| Known for | White Revolution in India |
| Awards | Ramon Magsaysay Award (1964) Padma Shri (1965) Padma Bhushan (1966) World Food Prize (1989) Order of Agricultural Merit (1997) Padma Vibhushan (1999) |
| Website | www |
Verghese Kurien (26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012) was an Indian dairy engineer and social entrepreneur. He led initiatives that contributed to the extensive increase in milk production in India termed as the White Revolution.
Kurien graduated in physics from the University of Madras in 1940 and received his masters in mechanical engineering from the Michigan State University in 1947. In 1949, Kurien was sent by the Government of India to run its experimental creamery at Anand, where he set up the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union in 1950 which later became Amul. Amul organised the dairy farmers in the villages as a part of cooperatives and linked them to the milk consumers directly. The dairy cooperatives were successful in increasing the milk production as consumers paid in cash directly to the dairy farmers, who controlled the procurement, processing, and marketing of milk and milk products as the owners of the cooperative.
In 1965, Kurien as appointed as the head of the newly formed National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which was established to replicate the Anand co-operative scheme nationwide. In 1979, he established a management institute at Anand, which was aimed at training managers involved in managing the milk cooperatives. Kurien helped set up similar cooperatives across India which made dairy farming one of the largest self-sustaining industries and employment generators in rural areas. This led to a multi-fold increase in milk output over the next few decades and helped India become the world's largest milk producer in 1998. For his contributions in increasing the dairy output, Kurian is known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India. The co-operative model was later applied successfully to other agricultural industries such as the production of edible oils.
He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1964 and the World Food Prize in 1989. In 1999, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour. He was conferred the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Government in 1997.