Verghese kurien biography of william
Home / Scientists & Inventors / Verghese kurien biography of william
This belief — that prosperity must belong to the people who create it — became the foundation of everything he built.
Challenging Global Giants
When global companies like Nestlé declared that condensed milk could not be made from buffalo milk (India’s primary milk source), Kurien didn’t just disagree — he proved them wrong.
After a lifetime of struggle and conviction towards serving the nation Dr. Verghese Kurien breathe his last on 9 September 2012 due to brief illness at Anand.
He was also very active in sports and represented the college in cricket, badminton, boxing and tennis. He transformed India from a milk-deficient nation into the world’s largest milk producer through Operation Flood, creating a cooperative model (Amul) that empowered millions of rural farmers.
What was Dr.
Verghese Kurien's connection to the movie Manthan?
The 1976 film Manthan was the first-ever crowdfunded movie in India, financed entirely by 500,000 farmers who each contributed ₹2. He often stated that he did not drink milk himself, yet he dedicated his entire life to ensuring that India had enough of it.
What is the Amul Model?
The Amul Model is a three-tiered cooperative structure where farmers (producers) directly own the brand, eliminating middlemen.
Verghese Kurien was born on November 26, 1921 to an affluent Syrian Christian family in Calicut (now Kozhikode), Kerala. By eliminating middlemen and letting farmers become shareholders, he turned producers into owners. The film depicts the struggles of the dairy cooperative movement and was spearheaded by Dr. Kurien to tell the story of the White Revolution.
Did Dr.
Verghese Kurien drink milk?
Ironically, despite being the "Milkman of India," Dr. Kurien did not enjoy drinking milk. He returned to India after completion of his studies and on May 13, 1949 he headed for Anand, a place in Kaira district of Gujarat where he was supposed to spend five years as an officer of the Dairy division in return for the scholarship paid by the government.
Verghese Kurien didn’t just change India’s dairy industry — he changed India’s identity.
FAQs
Who is known as the Father of the White Revolution in India?
Dr. Dr. Verghese Kurien married Susan Molly Peter on June 15, 1953 and they had one daughter Nirmala Kurien and a grandson, Siddharth.
of India):
https://padmaawards.gov.in/padma-awardees
Ramon Magsaysay Award Citation:
https://www.rmaward.asia/awardee/kurien-verghese
World Food Prize – Laureate Page:
https://www.worldfoodprize.org/index.cfm?nodeID=25361&audienceID=1
• Manthan (1976) – First Crowdfunded Film by Dairy Farmers
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0074885/
EntrepreneurshipChangemakersEntrepreneurs
Rashmeet Kaur Chawla Senior Editor
Rashmeet is a creative content writer driven by a passion for meaningful storytelling.
Kurien didn’t create a brand, he created a movement. He worked towards bringing a White Revolution in India and executed the much needed programme of “Operation Flood”. Under his inspiring leadership many important institutions were established namely the GCMMF (Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd) and NDDB (National Dairy Development board which played a significant role in shaping the Dairy Cooperative movement across the country and led the replication of Anand model of cooperative dairy practiced all over the country.
Dr.
Along with colleague H. M. Dalaya, he developed India’s first indigenous process for producing dairy products from buffalo milk.
Soon, Amul outperformed multinationals like Nestlé and Glaxo — not just locally, but on quality and pricing.
Operation Flood: The White Revolution Begins
In 1970, Kurien launched Operation Flood — the world’s largest dairy development programme.
Dr. Verghese Kurien will always be remembered as the person who redefined the meaning of milk as a powerful tool for economic development.
Who was Verghese Kurien?
Verghese Kurien was a renownedIndiansocialentrepreneur and is best known as the "Father of the White Revolution", for his 'billion-litre idea' — the world's biggestagriculturaldevelopment programme.
He didn’t just solve hunger — he restored dignity.
This story is captured as a BIGSTORY because:
- It is proof that revolutions can be built quietly.
- It demonstrates that development is most powerful when people own it.
- It shows that ordinary beginnings can lead to extraordinary transformations.
Quick Facts About Dr.
Verghese Kurien
- Known as: Father of the White Revolution
- Birthday: 26 November — celebrated in India as National Milk Day
- First crowdfunded film in India, Manthan (1976), was financed by 500,000 farmers
- Transformed India into the world’s largest milk producer
- Built and scaled cooperative leadership that still thrives today
Dr.
He was named after his uncle Rao Sahib P.K Verghese.