40 Facts About Verghese Kurien

Verghese Kurien was an Indian dairy engineer and social entrepreneur.

Verghese Kurien led initiatives that contributed to the extensive increase in milk production in India termed as the White Revolution.

In 1949, Verghese Kurien was sent by the Government of India to run its experimental creamery at Anand, where he set up the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union in 1950 which later became Amul.

In 1965, Verghese Kurien was appointed as the head of the newly formed National Dairy Development Board, which helped to set up similar cooperatives across India and made dairy farming one of the largest self-sustaining industries and employment generators in rural areas.

Verghese Kurien was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1964 and the World Food Prize in 1989.

Verghese Kurien was conferred the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Government in 1997.

Verghese Kurien was born on 26 November 1921 in Calicut, Madras Presidency, British India in a Malayali Syrian Christian family.

Verghese Kurien's father was a government civil surgeon and Kurien did his schooling at Diamond Jubilee Higher Secondary School at Gobichettipalayam, where his father worked at the government hospital there.

Verghese Kurien graduated in physics from Loyola College in 1940 and received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy affiliated to the University of Madras in 1943.

Verghese Kurien wanted to join the Indian army as an engineer but instead he worked with Tata Steel Technical Institute in Jamshedpur.

Verghese Kurien applied for a scholarship provided by the Government of India to study metallurgical engineering but instead received a scholarship to study dairy engineering.

Verghese Kurien was sent to train at the Imperial Institute of Animal Husbandry in Bangalore before being sent to the United States on a government scholarship.

Verghese Kurien graduated with a master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Michigan State University in 1948.

Verghese Kurien had stated that though he was sent on a government scholarship to study dairy engineering, he studied metallurgical and nuclear engineering, disciplines which were likely to be of far greater use to the soon-to-be independent India and to himself.

In 1949, Verghese Kurien was sent by the government of India to its experimental creamery at Anand in Bombay province.

Verghese Kurien spent the evenings helping Tribhuvandas Patel with fixing the dairy equipment used for processing the milk procured from the local farmers.

Verghese Kurien wanted to quit the government job and leave Anand but was persuaded by Patel to stay with him and help with his dairy cooperative.

Verghese Kurien developed the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union Limited further which later became Amul.

Verghese Kurien worked on the belief that economic self-interest of all sections of the village-society would make them align together to grow their cooperative and remove caste or class conflicts.

In 1956, Verghese Kurien visited Nestle in Switzerland at their invitation but with special instructions from then commerce and industries minister.

Verghese Kurien asked Nestle to reduce the imports to India, to try manufacturing condensed milk with buffalo milk procured locally and to engage more Indians in the production process.

Verghese Kurien was met with a refusal stating that the natives would not be able to handle the technology involved in the condensed milk production.

Verghese Kurien helped develop an indigenous process of making skimmed milk powder and condensed milk from buffalo milk, which had a higher proportion of milk solids and increased its economic value.

Verghese Kurien lobbied with the government to freeze Polson's production lines, as part of the war effort.

In 1965, Shastri tasked Verghese Kurien to replicate the dairy's Anand scheme nationwide, for which the National Dairy Development Board was founded.

Verghese Kurien negotiated with FAO and UNICEF of the United Nations, and the World Bank for aid to develop the cooperatives as a part of "Operation Flood".

The Anand model was replicated across Gujarat and Verghese Kurien brought all of them under the Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation to sell their products under a single Amul brand on the 25th anniversary of establishment.

Verghese Kurien resigned from the position of chairman of GCMMF in 2006 after limited support from the governing board.

Verghese Kurien replicated the cooperative model in other agricultural industries like the production of fruits and vegetables, oil seeds and edible oil.

In 1982, Verghese Kurien visited Pakistan as a part of a World Bank mission following the request of the Government of Pakistan for aid in setting up dairy cooperatives.

Verghese Kurien registered interest from other countries like Sri Lanka and Philippines, who wanted him to replicate the cooperative model in their countries.

Verghese Kurien served as the chairman of Tribhuvandas Foundation, a NGO which worked on women and child health in Kheda district.

Verghese Kurien died from an illness at the age of 90 on 9 September 2012 at Nadiad near Anand.

Verghese Kurien had a wife Molly and a daughter, Nirmala.

Verghese Kurien was brought up as a Christian before becoming an atheist.

Verghese Kurien was bestowed with an honorary degree by the Michigan State University in 1965.

Verghese Kurien was awarded the Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award for social bravery.

Verghese Kurien either headed or was on the boards of several public institutions and received honorary doctorate degrees from universities worldwide.

The cooperative model pioneered by Verghese Kurien is studied in academia with lectures on the same.

Verghese Kurien's supported the "Amul girl" advertisement campaign which is one of the longest running campaigns in India and Surabhi, a television series on Indian culture.