Sumul Dairy joins biogas revolution with NDDB, Suzuki

The Surat District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Union Ltd.  or ‘Sumul Dairy’ has entered into a tripartite MoU with the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and Suzuki R&D Center India to set up a 75 metric tonnes per day (MTPD) Compressed Biogas (CBG) plant in Surat, Gujarat. The CBG project will be cow dung–based furthering sustainability of dairy and circular economy.

The proposed CBG facility will be located at Bajipura area. It will convert cattle dung into clean CBG while also producing nutrient-rich organic fertilizers. The project is designed to strengthen soil health, reduce reliance on chemical fertilizers, promote climate-resilient agricultural practices, and create additional income streams for dairy farmers.

As per the MoU, more than two lakh cattle breeders from Surat and Tapi districts associated with Sumul Dairy are expected to benefit from the initiative.

The MoU was signed in the presence of Dr Minesh Shah, Chairman of NDDB; Kenichiro Toyofuku, Director, Suzuki R&D Center India; HR Patel, Custodian; and Arun Purohit, Managing Director of Sumul Dairy.

Aligned with central and state government policies and subsidy frameworks encouraging sustainable biogas production, the project marks a significant step towards integrating circular economy principles within the dairy sector. By monetising cattle waste, the plant will help address environmental concerns while supporting rural livelihoods and clean energy goals.

Sumul Dairy has installed small, family-type biogas plants for 6,543 cattle breeder households. These installations have supported the use of clean energy at the household level while encouraging organic farming practices.

Rising Efforts

At the beginning of this year, Union Jal Shakti Minister CR Patil convened a crucial meeting with Chairpersons and MD’s of milk cooperatives and dairies from Gujarat and asked them to accelerate the development of Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants that will transform cattle dung and other organic waste into sustainable energy and organic manure.

NDDB, which supports dairy cooperatives, is setting up 15 plants across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Goa and Bihar. Suzuki had entered into an agreement to invest in biogas with NDDB.