Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that women comprising 70 per cent of the workforce in India’s robust dairy sector are the real leaders, driving its growth.

“Women are the real leaders of India’s dairy sector… In 2014, India produced 146 million tonnes of milk. Now it has increased to 210 million tonnes. That means an increase of about 44 percent,” Modi said while speaking at the inauguration of the International Dairy Federation World Dairy Summit (IDF WDS) 2022. The summit is being held at India Expo Centre & Mart, Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh.

He also highlighted that more than a third of dairy cooperatives’ members are women. Modi pointed out that more than 1,000 startups have come up in the agriculture and dairy sector in the last five to six years.

Earlier, Modi in his Independence Day address underlined the need to maintain respect for women and boost “Nari Shakti” or woman power. He said that women’s participation and their role will form the pillar of India’s growth.

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“Our Nari Shakti is being represented in all sectors- in police, villages etc. The more opportunities we give to our daughters, the more they will take us forward,” he said, adding that it is important to ensure that nothing lowers the dignity of women.

“A distortion has crept in our conduct and we at times insult women, can we take pledge to get rid of this in our behaviour,” he said, adding that India’s diversity must be celebrated.

Gender equality is a crucial parameter of unity, Modi had said.