Bengaluru startup is laying the groundwork for cruelty-free & sustainable dairy farming

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Architect, Radhika Nichani observed firsthand the atrocities animals face on the streets of India while helping at Charlie's Animal Rescue Centre (CARE) in Bengaluru. One horrific case of animal cruelty led her to research animal cruelty cases, and she came across some literature about the myriad ways the industrial complex has exploited animals to develop businesses and test human products during one such deep dive. Some call it the world's most exploitative commerce, in which animals are treated as money-making machines rather than real beings.

Radhika launched Farm Aura in 2020 with her father, Tarun Nichani, and mother, Shivani Nichani, as a sustainable A2 milk enterprise that rescues desi cows that have been abandoned in favor of jersey/genetically modified cows.
The unique selling point of Farm Aura is that it does not follow demand and only sells what its animals produce.
In fact, if the herd has a new mother cow, she is milked just after the calf has gotten its fill for the day, with the surplus milk going to Farm Aura's clients.

They are an ethical, honest, and natural farm that ensures the well-being of our calves, regardless of whether they are male or female. Animals are just as important to the company as clients and sales, if not more so. Farm Aura, based in Bengaluru, ships some items across India, but the majority of its fresh products, such as milk, cheese, and cottage cheese, are now supplied to clients in Bengaluru. Radhika's ultimate goal is to provide a model for sustainable dairy farming for other businesses and to lead by example to demonstrate that it is possible to be lucrative, generate revenue, and still be humane.

Currently, the self-funded firm sells A2 cow milk, which is the best grade milk produced by desi, indigenous cows, as well as milk products like ghee, cottage cheese, and so on. It also sells a modest number of donkeys' milk. The company has lately begun selling donkey milk soaps and is considering exporting them. Farm Aura, as with most dairy firms, sells through a subscription model and allows clients to order milk individually. So each morning, the milk is cooked fresh, and clients are inquired to unload the bottles into their own vessels once they obtain their orders — a nod to the traditional milk delivery of the past, which quality system and is far more environmentally friendly and safe to consume than milk in plastic pouches.

The company, which began operations in November 2020, already has more than 50 regular clients and sells 250 liters of milk every week. It frequently experiences great demand, but because of its policy of only selling what it can collect, it must turn away many consumers. Its farm, which is located in Solur, about 45 kilometers from Bengaluru, is home to 40 kangrej and kangeyam cows, which are native to India. Sonu, a halliker calf who was rescued from the slaughterhouse just in time, leads the herd Farm Aura is self-funded, and any profits go toward caring for its resident animals and paying the salaries of the local villagers who help it run its activities. Radhika aims to open up the farm for overnight stays, hold educational programs, and teach people how to live sustainably in the future.

Akshaykalpa, Ahimsa Milk, and Swarg Foods are among the dairy enterprises that follow comparable sustainable methods or are at least attempting to do so. Other large-scale dairy enterprises are among their competitors. India's dairy industry has enormous consequences on the country's GDP and employment levels as the world's largest milk producer, generating 188 million mega-tonnes of milk in 2019-20. Nearly 70 million farmers in India work in the dairy business, which has developed rapidly in recent years thanks to the spread of direct-to-consumer (D2C) and improved logistics channels.

As per a survey by ResearchandMarkets, India's dairy market is expected to be worth Rs 11,357 billion in 2020.

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