Amul launches AI platform ‘Sarlaben’ to support dairy farmers

Gujarat’s dairy sector took a bold step into the future on Wednesday with the launch of Amul AI , an artificial intelligence platform anchored by a digital assistant named Sarlaben that aims to provide round‑the‑clock, personalised support to more than 36 lakh milk producers across over 18,500 villages. Officials and cooperative leaders have described the initiative as a transformative technological milestone not only for Gujarat’s cooperative dairy ecosystem but also as a model for rural economic empowerment and digital inclusion .

Sarlaben is designed to help farmers with everyday decisions about cattle health, feeding practices, breeding, vaccination schedules and medical treatment , as well as to provide information on government schemes and subsidies relevant to dairying and animal husbandry. The platform is accessible through the widely used Amul Farmer mobile application , downloaded by over 10 lakh farmers , and also via voice calls for feature phones and landlines in Gujarati , ensuring that even those without smartphones can benefit.

What sets Amul AI apart from simple information portals is its foundation on one of India’s most extensive cooperative digital data ecosystems , built up over more than five decades. Amul’s IT systems manage data on over 200 crore milk procurement transactions annually , detailed records of veterinary treatments for nearly 3 crore cattle by more than 1,200 veterinarians, and approximately 70 lakh artificial inseminations each year . The platform also incorporates fodder production data derived from ISRO satellite imagery and a comprehensive cattle census updated every five years. This vast and verified repository gives the AI a rich, contextual base to generate highly specific, reliable guidance tailored to individual farmers and their livestock.

Integrated with operational systems such as Amul’s Automatic Milk Collection System (AMCS) and the Pashudhan application , Sarlaben draws on real‑time and historical records to offer farmers actionable recommendations that reflect their own production patterns and animal needs. This seamless integration means that advice is not generic — it is rooted in actual cooperative data and daily field operations, helping farmers make timely decisions that can improve animal productivity and income.

At the launch event in Anand, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel emphasised that by delivering verified information instantly in the local language, Amul AI will particularly benefit women milk producers , many of whom play a central role in household dairying but have historically had limited access to expert advisory services. Patel also linked the rollout to supportive policy measures, including Union Budget allocations to train 20,000 veterinary professionals , and noted that recent trade agreements with the United States and the European Union that exclude dairy imports will help safeguard the livelihoods of India’s more than 10 crore small and marginal dairy farmers .

Experts and cooperative leaders say the platform’s design addresses longstanding challenges in rural advisory systems by combining trusted data with technology that can reach farmers 24×7 without the need for frequent in‑person visits by extension workers . Jayen Mehta, Managing Director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) , explained that Amul AI is about “taking dependable, verified information directly to the farmer — instantly and in a language they are comfortable with,” and that this capability will deepen engagement with best practices across Gujarat’s dairy belt.

The initiative also carries a broader narrative around the role of AI in rural transformation. Industry observers describe Sarlaben not just as a support tool for individual farmers, but as a continuous advisory service that keeps users engaged daily, effectively turning what was once intermittent extension outreach into an “always‑on” resource. This shift could strengthen the cooperative’s value proposition by making everyday operations, schemes, and animal care recommendations more accessible and actionable at the grassroots level.

Officials have said that Amul AI will be showcased at the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi , where it will be presented as a leading example of how artificial intelligence can be harnessed to advance rural economies, improve agricultural productivity, and empower farmers through localized, data‑driven guidance. With its foundation in decades of cooperative experience and its focus on practical, field‑relevant advice , Amul AI is positioned to become a significant driver of growth and self‑reliance in the dairy sector as India aims for broader technological and economic advancement by 2047.