Verghese Kurien, India's 'milkman' dies at 90

Dr Verghese Kurien, India's "milkman" who unleashed the white revolution that catapulted India as the world's top milk producing country, died at the age of 90, at Nadiad, near Anand, in Gujarat on Sunday.

Kurien died of old age related ailments, according to his family.

Kurien made a big success of the Anand milk producers cooperative that later came to be known as `Amul'. It was the success of Amul that was the driving force behind India emerging the world's biggest milk producer.

India produced 121 million tonnes of milk in 2010-11 fiscal, about 17 per cent of global production of a little over 750 million tonnes, according to figures provided by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Kurien graduated from Loyola College and joined the Guindy College of Engineering, both in Chennai and later underwent specialised training at the Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry and Dairying in Bangalore. He went to the Michigan State University in the US on a government of India scholarship to complete his masters' degree in mechanical engineering, with dairy engineering as a minor subject. He completed his post-graduation in 1948.

Kurien who was assigned a job at the government creamery in Anand, Gujarat, to serve for the bond period some 46 years ago, decided to stay on after the bond period was over. He remained bonded to Anand and served the milk cooperatives with missionary zeal.