Amul’s AI-Powered Dairy Revolution: Sarlaben Empowers 36 Million Indian Farmers

Amul’s AI-Powered Dairy Revolution: Sarlaben Empowers 36 Million Indian Farmers

In a groundbreaking move that redefines agricultural technology for the global South, Amul — the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) — has launched Sarlaben, an AI-driven assistant designed to serve 36 million rural women dairy farmers across Gujarat. Unlike Silicon Valley’s high-tech prototypes, Sarlaben operates on basic mobile phones, delivering actionable insights in local dialects, making it one of the most scalable and inclusive AI deployments in agricultural history.

According to The News Mill, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel hailed Sarlaben as a "transformative tool for rural empowerment," noting its role in reducing milk spoilage, optimizing feed schedules, and improving animal health outcomes. The AI system, developed in collaboration with Indian tech startups and agricultural scientists, analyzes data from farmer-submitted photos of cows, daily milk yield logs, and climate inputs to generate personalized recommendations.

As reported by DairyNews.Today, Sarlaben integrates with Amul’s existing dairy collection network, which processes over 28 million liters of milk daily. The AI platform detects early signs of mastitis, predicts lactation cycles, and advises on optimal breeding windows — all critical for smallholders who lack access to veterinary services. Farmers receive alerts via SMS or voice messages in Gujarati, Hindi, and regional dialects, eliminating literacy barriers.

The initiative’s success lies in its decentralized design. Rather than requiring expensive sensors or internet connectivity, Sarlaben leverages the ubiquity of mobile phones and Amul’s 1.7 million milk collection centers. Farmers upload photos of their animals using a simple app or call a toll-free number, where voice-based AI interprets symptoms and responds with tailored advice. In pilot zones, milk yield increased by 12–18%, and veterinary intervention rates dropped by 30% within six months, according to internal GCMMF data cited by DairyNews.Today.

Amul’s cooperative model ensures that benefits flow directly to the farmers. Unlike corporate agri-tech firms that monetize farmer data, GCMMF — owned by 36 million farmer-members — reinvests profits into rural infrastructure. The AI platform is free to use, with no subscription fees or data harvesting. As stated on Amul’s official website, the organization’s mission remains "to empower rural India through collective ownership and technology-enabled equity."

Gender inclusion is central to the program’s design. Over 90% of the milk producers served by Sarlaben are women, many of whom are primary household breadwinners. The AI assistant also provides financial literacy tips, connects users to microloans via partner banks, and alerts them to fair market prices, reducing exploitation by middlemen.

Global experts are taking notice. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has labeled Sarlaben a "blueprint for AI in subsistence agriculture," while the World Bank has included it in its 2026 Digital Agriculture Innovation Index. Critics, however, caution that digital exclusion remains a risk for the most remote communities without mobile access. Amul is addressing this through mobile van units equipped with tablet-based AI kiosks, reaching villages beyond cellular coverage.

As climate volatility and rising input costs threaten smallholder livelihoods, Sarlaben represents more than a tech upgrade — it’s a structural shift toward farmer-led innovation. With 36 million voices now empowered by artificial intelligence, Amul has not only transformed dairy farming; it has reimagined what equitable technological progress looks like in the 21st century.