Early mornings in Hosur, Tamil Nadu, often begin with the same routine – women walking long distances with metal cans of milk balanced on bicycles or carried in their hands. For years, this milk was sold to private traders at whatever price they offered, often as low as ₹20 per litre. Payments were delayed, records unclear and many small farmers remained trapped in a cycle of low income and uncertainty.
The Srinivasan Services Trust (SST), the social arm of TVS Motor Company, works across 145 villages in Hosur cluster, Krishnagiri district, where livestock and dairy form a key source of livelihood. As part of its ongoing rural village development efforts, SST undertook detailed field surveys covering 130 villages in Hosur, Thally block, through which it identified a potential scope of about 1,800 milk pourers collectively producing nearly 25,000 litres of milk each day.
The surveys revealed a range of interconnected challenges: low milk prices despite good quality, over dependence on middlemen who earned higher profits, neglected quality testing, delayed receipt of payments, poor road and transport connectivity in hilly and tribal areas restricting market access and limited competition that left farmers with no choice but to sell to the same buyers at undervalued rates.
Recognising these systemic gaps, SST launched the Dairy Value Chain Project as part of its larger goal of holistic rural development. The initiative sought to help farmers, particularly women, shift from individual selling to a structured value chain offering stability and better returns.
Why SST Works with Women’s Groups
SST’s rural development philosophy is rooted in the belief that sustainable change begins within the community itself. Over the years, the organisation has found that women’s collectives, particularly Self-Help Groups (SHGs), are the most effective entry point for building trust, participation and accountability at the grassroots. SHGs enable women to save, access credit and take collective decisions, skills that extend into leadership, community problem-solving and society building.
Across Tamil Nadu, southern Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, SST has facilitated the formation of 5000 SHGs covering 60,000 women, many of whom now lead micro-enterprises and are actively involved in community development. In Hosur, where women are deeply involved in livestock but often excluded from financial and market decisions, strengthening SHGs provided a natural foundation for the dairy initiative.
Women Leading a Dairy Transformation in Hosur
To strengthen the dairy ecosystem in Hosur, SST identified Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company Limited, Andhra Pradesh – India’s first all-women shareholder milk producer company promoted and supported by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Government of India – as a strategic partner. Shreeja has a proven record of working successfully with rural communities across Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and operates in partnership with Mother Dairy, Tirupati for milk processing and marketing. Its membership has grown from 41,000 to over 1.2 lakh women within a decade, demonstrating the strength of a women-led cooperative model that combines transparency, professionalism and grassroots ownership.
Recognising the potential of this approach, SST facilitated the inclusion of SHG women and other dairy farmers from Hosur into the Shreeja network. The initiative began in Kuppatti and Dinnur villages, where women were organised to strengthen dairy livelihoods and gradually expanded across the district. SST planned the establishment of 68 milk collection centres across Hosur based on needs identified through the field survey. Under Phase I, 30 centres were set up with an investment of ₹ 32 lakhs. In Phase II, 16 centres have been completed and 20 are underway, with the investment by Shreeja.
SST continues to anchor the initiative on the ground identifying villages, facilitating infrastructure setup, linking farmers to credit and strengthening each stage of the dairy value chain to ensure sustainability and farmer ownership. So far, 1,080 dairy farmers have registered with Shreeja, with an average of 700 active pourers each day.
As of October 2025, the total revenue generated from 2023 – 2025 by all milk pourers across the 48 milk collection centres stands at ₹16.3 crores, with an additional income of ₹2.3 crores earned through fair pricing and direct market access compared to what farmers would have received from conventional channels. The collection centres are staffed by dairy women farmers and SHG members, who also work as milk collectors and receive an honorarium of ₹1 per litre transported. This not only provides them with additional income but also strengthens community ownership and operational sustainability.
At each collection centre, milk is tested, weighed and recorded digitally before being transported to a Bulk Milk Chilling Unit established by Shreeja, following SST’s facilitation and identification of the need for local cooling infrastructure. Payments are made directly to farmers’ bank accounts every 15 days, ensuring full traceability and fairness. Prices are determined by fat and SNF content, encouraging better livestock care and improved milk quality.
On-Ground Interventions and Capacity Building
SST’s role went beyond facilitation. The organisation’s Village Development Officers (VDOs) and agronomists, trained by the NDDB, provide technical guidance and farmer training to improve livestock health and milk yield.
To promote sustainable dairy practices and improve livestock productivity, SST implemented a range of awareness and demonstration programmes across Hosur. The interventions focused on enhancing breed quality, feed efficiency and animal health – critical elements for ensuring consistent milk yield and income stability throughout the year. Awareness sessions on quality breed selection were conducted across 48 villages, increasing the total cattle population from about 1,100 to 1,500, with a notable rise in crossbred HF and Jersey cows that contributed to higher productivity. To address the recurring challenge of feed shortages during the dry months, SST promoted Azolla cultivation, chaff-cutter usage and silage making as cost-effective strategies for maintaining a year-round fodder supply. These efforts resulted in the preparation of 23,000 kg of silage and the purchase of 70 chaff cutters by farmers, significantly reducing feed costs.
Alongside this, veterinary awareness programmes were organised to improve cattle health and prevent disease through regular vaccination (FMD, HS, BQ, etc.), hygiene, deworming and balanced nutrition. With support from ICAR, SST distributed cow mats, mineral mixtures, milk cans and first-aid kits to farmers, ensuring better animal comfort and care. The organisation also launched an extensive artificial insemination drive across 47 villages, benefiting 800 cattle and achieving a conception success rate of over 60 percent. This intervention, which previously required farmers to travel up to 18 km and spend ₹200–₹500 per insemination, is now available at their doorstep for just ₹20, making the service both affordable and accessible. Further, to ensure feed security and fodder availability during summer, SST introduced maize cultivation across 17 acres involving 37 farmers, paving the way for sustained silage production and better livestock nutrition.
Together, these interventions have strengthened the foundation of Hosur’s dairy ecosystem, ensuring that farmers have healthier cattle, access to affordable inputs and a steady milk supply throughout the year. As these technical and institutional efforts took root, the results soon began to reflect on the ground.
Empowerment, Stability & Impact
Between 2023–24 and 2025–26, the dairy initiative recorded significant progress. What began with 140 milk producers in 2023 has expanded to 1,080 registered farmers contributing about 8000 litres of milk per day. The average milk production per farmer rose from 9 to 13 litres per day – a 44 % increase from 2023–24 to 2025–26, while the average milk price increased from ₹28 to ₹36 per litre, a 29 % rise.
As a result, the average monthly income per farmer grew from around ₹19,000 to ₹27,000, a 40 % increase. Smallholders with 1–2 cows saw earnings rise by 60 %, while large-herd farmers recorded a 70 % growth. Across all beneficiaries, total monthly income nearly doubled, from ₹43 lakh to ₹81 lakh.
Stable pricing, year-round collection irrespective of seasonal variations and transparent payments have given women the confidence to invest further. Encouraged by this success, about 70 farmers, facilitated by SST, who earlier didn’t own livestock bought cows and began milk production. Many others reinvested earnings to buy higher-yield cattle, reflecting their growing trust in dairy as a steady livelihood. SST also facilitated in procurement of loans and credit assistance to strengthen dairy activities.
For most women, the most significant change has been the shift from irregular earnings to stable monthly income. The assurance of digital payments every 15 days has improved financial discipline and household planning.
“Earlier, we sold milk for ₹20–25 a litre. Now we receive ₹32–36 directly in our accounts,” The system is fair and gives us the confidence to plan for the future and not just the next day.”- says Deepa, a milk producer from Kuppatti village, Hosur, Tamil Nadu
Beyond income, the project has strengthened community cooperation and leadership. Women now actively participate in training, record keeping, collection-centre operations and community mobilisation, demonstrating how economic empowerment can evolve into stronger, self-managed community institutions.
Building Ownership and Sustainability
A key outcome has been the deep sense of ownership the initiative has fostered among women. Members of SHGs and other farmers are now shareholders in Shreeja Mahila Milk Producer Company, receiving dividends and patronage-based incentives proportional to their milk contribution. Equity participation ensures women have a genuine stake in the enterprise’s success.
Under Shreeja’s inclusive framework, any woman dairy farmer can become a member and even be elected to the board, reinforcing democratic participation and local governance. The 48 milk collection centres managed by women have become hubs for planning, savings and community dialogue – spaces where women engage directly with cooperative representatives, veterinary officers and financial institutions.
This women-led model, anchored in transparency, professional management and grassroots governance, has turned beneficiaries into active stakeholders of a sustainable value chain.
The success of this initiative has inspired other communities in Hosur to form groups and request similar support, signalling the model’s potential for wider replication and long-term sustainability. By integrating fair pricing, scientific livestock management and women-led operations, SST and Shreeja have together built a self-sustaining, community-owned dairy ecosystem that continues to grow in strength and scale.
Way Forward
The experience of this project shows how access to fair markets and collective strength can transform traditional livelihoods into sustainable enterprises. What began as an effort to improve milk production has evolved into a model of women-led economic participation.
SST now plans to expand this dairy value-chain model across its operational areas, aligning it with its integrated village development approach. The organisation remains focused on building self-reliant, community-led systems where women lead planning, implementation and leadership.
This initiative reaffirms a simple truth: when rural women are trusted with the right opportunities and support structures, they strengthen not only their families’ income but also the social and economic fabric of their communities.
