In India’s Himachal Pradesh, Sakina Thakur, a postgraduate in history, has built a thriving dairy business, Sakina Dairy Farm, in Mandi district. Supported by the Himachal Pradesh State Milk Producers’ Federation, she now earns over INR 2 lakh (approx. USD 2,400) per month and oversees a women’s dairy cooperative, transforming the rural dairy landscape.
At Kun village in the Kotli sub-division of Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, Sakina Thakur is redefining rural entrepreneurship. With support from the Himachal Pradesh State Milk Producers’ Federation, she has developed Sakina Dairy Farm into a successful enterprise, now earning over USD 2,400 monthly and inspiring a generation of rural women.
A postgraduate in history, Sakina started her journey with just INR 1.25 lakh in savings and a small rural bank loan. She noticed poor-quality milk in Mandi town during her studies and decided to make a difference. Despite societal pushback, she committed herself to dairy farming, gaining practical knowledge through YouTube tutorials and mentorship from a local farmer, Chinta Devi.
Her dairy operation officially launched in July 2024 with a further loan of INR 2 lakh. Sakina invested in high-yielding Holstein Friesian cows from Punjab and built a modern shed at a cost of INR 4.5 lakh. Her farm now produces around 112 litres of milk daily. She uses organic fertiliser from cow dung and sources fodder locally and from Punjab, ensuring efficiency in her operations.
Sakina earns about INR 1.25 lakh per month, while the cooperative society she supports earns close to INR 2 lakh monthly. In November 2024, the Kun Mahila Dugdh Utpadak Sahkari Samiti was formed under the guidance of the state milk federation. This women-led cooperative, equipped with modern milk-handling systems, now connects over 70 families from nearby villages including Kot, Lambidhar, Dhruval, Traihar, and Mahan.
She receives INR 41–44 per litre of milk, and with the recent announcement of a minimum support price of INR 51, she thanked Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu for his dairy-friendly policies.
Village deputy head Vijay Kumar hailed Sakina as a role model, praising her for breaking stereotypes and encouraging grassroots entrepreneurship. Her success demonstrates the power of education, innovation, and local support in building a self-reliant rural economy in India.
