Economy

Manufactured by the West Assam Milk Producers’ Cooperative Union Limited (WAMUL) and marketed by North East Dairy and Foods Limited (NEDFL), Purabi Ice Cream is produced using milk procured through Purabi Dairy’s extensive cooperative network of dairy farmers across Assam. The inaugural consignment comprises a diverse range of products, including cups, family packs, cones and gallon packs, catering to both retail consumers and institutional buyers in Bhutan.

The sector has recorded considerable expansion over the past decade. India’s milk production increased from 146.31 million tonnes in 2014–15 to 248.87 million tonnes in 2024–25, representing growth of around 70 per cent. Egg production rose from 78.48 billion to 149.11 billion during the same period, an increase of approximately 90 per cent. These figures indicate that livestock-based activities are becoming an increasingly important source of food, cash income and employment across rural India.

According to the BIMCO–International Chamber of Shipping Seafarer Workforce Report 2026, India supplies 3,11,936 maritime professionals, representing 12.16 per cent of the global seafaring workforce. The country now ranks behind only the Philippines and ahead of other major maritime workforce suppliers, including China, Russia and Indonesia.

The figures provide a mid-season assessment of sowing activity and should not be viewed as the final acreage for the 2026 kharif season. Planting remains under way in several regions, and the final cultivated area will depend on the geographical distribution of rainfall, soil moisture, availability of irrigation and the pace at which farmers complete sowing operations.