50 Years of Mother Dairy: How the milk cooperative became a household name in Delhi

On November 4, 1974, two Mother Dairy booths opened in Delhi’s Defence Colony and RK Puram Sector 4, drawing locals curious about the novel concept of buying milk from a vending machine.

At the time, it was hard to imagine milk being dispensed with just the insertion of a coin. Nearly fifty years later, Mother Dairy booths are a familiar sight across the city, seamlessly integrated into daily life.

‘WHITE REVOLUTION’

In the 1960s and 1970s, with Amul already a trusted brand, the government sought to address the country’s milk shortage. “That’s when the blueprint for the ‘White Revolution’ was drawn up,” says a Mother Dairy official.

“As part of this, the National Dairy Development Board was formed in 1964.”

Delhi’s milk drought ended with the rise of Mother Dairy booths across the city. “Mother Dairy has never let Delhi face a milk shortage,” says Maqsood Ahmad, a long-time resident and teacher at Anglo Arabic School.

The city’s residents, once uncertain about their milk supply, were suddenly reassured.

CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Veteran photojournalist Kamaljeet Singh recalls, “I remember when farmers grew vegetables where Mother Dairy’s building now stands.” Living in Pandav Nagar since childhood, Singh has witnessed Mother Dairy’s transformation over the years.

Construction of the Mother Dairy plant began in 1972, years before housing societies in the Indraprastha Extension emerged. Since then, the brand has expanded beyond milk to products like butter, yoghurt, and ice cream.

From one booth in 1974, it now supplies over 3.2 million litres of milk daily.

A LANDMARK IN EVERY NEIGHBOURHOOD

For many, having a Mother Dairy booth nearby has become a key reference point. “Mother Dairy is not just a place to buy milk; it’s a landmark,” says Dinesh Gupta, Chief Managing Director of Prabhatam Ad Agency.

“For a brand with ‘mother’ in its name, it’s easy to see why it has such an emotional connection with people.”

The word “mother” was a deliberate choice, says Gupta. “It conveys purity and care—qualities that resonate with consumers. Mother Dairy heavily emphasised on maternal care, which benefited them. It played a big role in making Mother Dairy a brand”.

Mother Dairy first established itself in milk supply, then launched products like butter, yogurt, and ice cream, Gupta adds.

DAYS OF DELHI MILK SCHEME

Before Mother Dairy, the Delhi Milk Scheme (DMS) was the city’s primary source of milk. The DMS was launched on November 1, 1959, by the then President Dr Rajendra Prasad.

A government undertaking, DMS has a large building in Shadipur depot. It operated booths across the capital. Bottled milk from the DMS would arrive at the booths every morning and evening.  The DMS gave responsibility for sales to the local youth. Many DMS employees lived on rent in Shadipur village.

TIMESTAMP: Before DMS and Mother Dairy, Delhi’s milk came from Keventers, established by Swedish Dairy technologist Edward Keventers in 1924

Noted author and former Editor of The Tribune AJ Phillip, who lived in RK Puram, recalls the early 1970s when DMS milk, distributed in bottles, was rationed to government flat allottees.

“There were also private distributors, carrying large aluminium jars of milk on both sides of their Java motorcycles,” he adds. You will still find a DMS booth in Janpath Market, behind the Bank of Baroda building. There is also one on Rajendra Prasad Road.

The milk drought in the capital ended when the Mother Dairy milk booths started coming up in every nook and cranny of the capital.

KEVENTERS: A FORGOTTEN LEGACY

Before DMS and Mother Dairy, Delhi’s milk came from Keventers, established by Swedish dairy technologist Edward Keventers in 1924.

The brand’s primary plant in Chanakyapuri was eventually closed in the 70s to make way for the diplomatic enclave. A street known as Keventers Lane still exists in the national capital.

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While the name lives on through an outlet in Connaught Place, veteran journalist Trilok Deep notes that the current Keventers has no connection to the original dairy. “The Keventers was acquired by Ram Krishna Dalmia,” Deep says. Keventers is credited with making Cassata ice cream popular among Indians.

As Mother Dairy marks its 50th anniversary, it stands as a testament to the enduring trust of Delhi’s residents—a brand that started with a coin-operated machine and evolved into a household name.