Milk is an important human food. It is palatable, easy to digest and highly nutritive. It contains proteins, fat, sugar, minerals and a liberal quantity of different kinds of vitamins. In World milk production, India ranks next only to the United States of America and the U.S.S.R. But the milk produced in India is far from adequate for its vast population as the daily average consumption per head comes to even less than half of the optimum requirement of about 310 grams. Milk and milk products are supplied as fresh milk products, concentrates, and dry products. Milk powders may be used as a substitute for fresh milk and concentrates. Converting liquid dairy streams into powder provides a supply of milk solids in a convenient, stable form. Dried dairy products are produced by dehydrating liquid milk streams or fractions of dairy streams. Skim milk and full cream milk powders enabled the development of the recombined milk and milk product industry, which began in the middle of the 20th century and is now well established, with a turnover of more than $5 billion to $6 billion in 2002. Uses & Applications Milk Powder is used as a food infant. It is used to prepare curd, butter, ghee, Cream and ice cream etc. Milk Powder is used in all homes and also used in hotels and restaurants as milk food preparations and in the preparations of tea and coffee. It is used for cheese, yogurt, Ice Cream. Market Survey The organized dairy industry processes about 8% of the total milk output in India while in value terms its share is close to 17%. The industry has maintained a high growth profile, initiated in early 1980s, especially in the wake of Operation Flood, colloquially also termed as White Revolution. India produces around 100 mn tonnes of milk annually and is reportedly growing at over 4.5% annually. The aim is to achieve an annual production of 127 mn tonnes by 2012. Total market of milk powder and condensed milk was estimated at Rs 13 bn in 2007 to 08 which represented an increase of 13% over that of the preceding year. In terms of value, the total milk economy is estimated at Rs 1950 bn. During 1950s and 60s India was one of the major importers of dairy products importing almost 40% of its consumption. Today, it is not only self sufficient, but it is the largest producer and exporter of dairy products. Credit goes to Operation Flood Programme predominantely spearheaded by the milk cooperatives. The cooperative sector is dominated by Amul (or GCMMF). However the cooperatives are losing to private players like Hatsun, Heritage Modern, Paras, Parag, Nestle and Britannia. By 2011, it is projected that the value of the industry will be around Rs 5.2 trillion by 2015 and it will require over Rs 100 bn of capital expenditure. Financials & Comparison of Major Players/Companies Britannia Dairy Pvt. Ltd. Brooke Bond Lipton India Ltd. [Merged] Hatsun Agro Products Ltd. Heritage Foods (India) Ltd. Herman Milkfoods Ltd. Industrial Progressive (India) Ltd. Kaira District Co Op. Milk Producers Union Ltd. Kamala Sugar Mills Ltd. Kwality Dairy (India) Ltd. Lipton India Ltd. [Merged] Mahaan Foods Ltd. Markandeshwar Foods & Allied Products Ltd. Milkfood Ltd. Modern Dairies Ltd. Narayan Agro Foods Ltd. Nestle India Ltd. Panchmahal District Co Op. Milk Producers Union Ltd. Parul Foods Specialities Pvt. Ltd. S M Milkose Ltd. Schreiber Dynamix Dairies Ltd. Umang Dairies Ltd. V R S Foods Ltd. V R S Foods Ltd.