India’s selection as host of the World Dairy Summit 2027 marks a defining moment for the country’s dairy sector, underscoring its growing influence in global dairy policy, innovation, and cooperative-led development. The hosting agreement was formalised between the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the International Dairy Federation (IDF), positioning India at the centre of international dairy discourse at a time of profound structural and sustainability challenges for the sector.
Strategic Significance for India’s Dairy Economy
Scheduled from 16–19 November 2027 at the Jio World Convention Centre, the summit is expected to attract over 1,500 global delegates, including policymakers, cooperatives, processors, researchers, financiers, start-ups, and technology providers.
India’s successful bid, approved at the IDF General Assembly in Paris, reflects international recognition of its scale, resilience, and cooperative-led dairy model. As the world’s largest milk producer, India’s dairy sector plays a critical role in rural livelihoods, nutrition security, and women’s economic participation, making it a reference point for emerging and developed dairy economies alike.
Policy, Technology and Sustainability in Focus
The summit programme will include IDF Board meetings, General Assembly deliberations, and technical committee sessions, offering a platform to shape global standards on nutrition, climate resilience, animal health, and dairy trade. For India, this creates an opportunity to align domestic priorities such as climate-smart dairying, digital traceability, and farmer income enhancement with global best practices.
NDDB Chairman Meenesh Shah and IDF Director General Laurence Rycken signed the agreement in New Delhi, in the presence of Union ministers Chirag Paswan and SP Singh Baghel, during the 52nd Dairy Industry Conference organised by the Indian Dairy Association.
A Signal to Global Markets and Investors
Hosting the World Dairy Summit sends a strong signal to global investors and technology providers about India’s readiness to engage with next-generation dairy solutions. It also reinforces the country’s ambition to move beyond volume-led growth toward value addition, sustainability, and global standard-setting.
Having previously hosted the summit in 2022, India’s return as host in 2027 highlights continuity in engagement and a maturing institutional framework capable of supporting complex international collaboration.
