Workshop on National Digital Livestock Mission Highlights Push for Digital Transformation in Animal Husbandry

The Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD), under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, organized a comprehensive workshop on the National Digital Livestock Mission (NDLM) at the National Agricultural Science Complex (NASC), Pusa, New Delhi. The workshop was chaired by Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar, Secretary, DAHD, and brought together key policymakers, state representatives, and technical experts to accelerate the nationwide rollout of digital livestock initiatives.

The event saw participation from Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary (DAHD); Dr. Praveen Malik, Animal Husbandry Commissioner; Shri Rama Shankar Sinha, Additional Secretary (DAHD); and other senior officers from the ministry. Representatives from seven States and Union Territories also took part, reflecting a collective national effort to strengthen digital governance in the livestock sector.

Focus on Accelerating Digital Transformation

The workshop primarily focused on enhancing the implementation of the National Digital Livestock Mission, a flagship initiative designed to revolutionize livestock management through technology integration and data-driven decision-making. The deliberations centered on leveraging the Bharat Pashudhan platform, a unified national digital database that facilitates efficient livestock registration, monitoring, and service delivery.

In his keynote address, Shri Naresh Pal Gangwar underscored the importance of digital infrastructure in transforming rural livelihoods, stating that technology must serve as an enabler of inclusion, efficiency, and transparency in the livestock value chain.

He emphasized three key priorities for the mission:

1. Ensuring data integrity across all levels to maintain accuracy and reliability.

2. Enhancing utilization of field-level data for real-time decision-making, disease control, and productivity monitoring.

3. Expanding stakeholder participation, ensuring that livestock owners, veterinarians, and administrative officers can seamlessly engage with digital platforms.

"The success of the National Digital Livestock Mission lies in how effectively we empower farmers and field workers to use technology as part of their everyday livestock management practices," Shri Gangwar said. He called for capacity-building initiatives and digital literacy programs to help rural livestock owners adapt to new systems.

Bharat Pashudhan: The Foundation of NDLM

At the heart of the NDLM lies the Bharat Pashudhan platform, an integrated digital database designed to create a unique digital identity for every animal and livestock owner in India. The platform aims to consolidate data from multiple sources — including state departments, veterinary hospitals, breeding centers, and milk cooperatives — into a single, accessible digital ecosystem.

As of now, over 9.4 crore livestock owners and 34.5 crore animals have been registered on Bharat Pashudhan, marking a historic achievement in India's journey toward complete livestock digitization. Each animal is assigned a unique identification number (UID) that links its health records, vaccination details, breed information, productivity data, and ownership credentials.

This digital tracking system enhances transparency, ensures traceability of livestock products, and facilitates the efficient delivery of welfare schemes. The platform also supports disease surveillance, enabling authorities to predict and manage outbreaks through early warning systems.

Empowering Farmers Through a Digital Ecosystem

The National Digital Livestock Mission aims to build a farmer-centric digital ecosystem that empowers livestock owners with timely access to veterinary care, breeding services, insurance, and government schemes. The mission promotes the principle of "Digital Inclusion for Rural Prosperity", ensuring that small and marginal livestock farmers benefit from technology-enabled services.

Through NDLM, the government seeks to:

• Digitally tag all livestock to build a nationwide traceability network.

• Facilitate real-time disease monitoring and preventive care through mobile applications and veterinary data integration.

• Streamline access to livestock credit and insurance, linking financial institutions to verified livestock records.

• Enable data-driven policymaking by integrating field-level data into central dashboards for analysis and planning.

• Promote breed improvement by tracking genetic data, fertility, and productivity trends.

This integrated approach aligns with India's broader goals under the Digital India initiative, enhancing transparency, efficiency, and accountability in the animal husbandry sector.

Collaborative Role of States and Stakeholders

The workshop emphasized state-level collaboration as essential to the mission's success. Representatives from participating states shared progress updates and discussed the challenges in digitization, such as field-level data collection, internet connectivity, and skill gaps among rural users.

The Secretary called for inter-departmental coordination and public-private partnerships (PPPs) to strengthen the mission's implementation. Technology firms, research institutions, and cooperatives were encouraged to participate in creating user-friendly digital tools for farmers.

Officials also stressed the importance of data interoperability, allowing seamless data exchange between different state and central databases while maintaining privacy and security standards.

To ensure smooth execution, NDLM will include capacity-building programmes for field officers, veterinarians, and extension workers, along with hands-on training for livestock owners.

Promoting E-Governance and Sustainable Development

Discussions during the workshop highlighted that the NDLM represents more than a technological shift — it embodies a governance transformation that brings accountability and efficiency to livestock services.

By integrating e-governance into animal husbandry, the mission seeks to:

• Reduce administrative delays in welfare delivery.

• Simplify scheme implementation and beneficiary identification.

• Ensure real-time monitoring of health, breeding, and production activities.

• Support environmentally sustainable livestock management through better data analytics.

The initiative also complements other government missions such as the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, National Animal Disease Control Programme (NADCP), and Dairy Infrastructure Development Fund, ensuring synergy between digital tools and field-level interventions.

Driving a Data-Driven Future for Animal Husbandry

Dr. Praveen Malik, Animal Husbandry Commissioner, noted that NDLM's data-driven framework will enable evidence-based policy planning, improve productivity, and help India achieve its goal of becoming a global leader in dairy and livestock production.

He added that the digital repository will play a crucial role in export certification, product traceability, and compliance with international sanitary standards, thereby boosting India's global competitiveness.

Ms. Varsha Joshi, Additional Secretary, highlighted the importance of data integrity and real-time analytics, stressing that accurate data from the field is the foundation for effective decision-making and transparent governance.

A Step Toward Inclusive Rural Growth

As India's livestock sector contributes nearly 30% of the agricultural GDP, initiatives like NDLM are vital for ensuring inclusive growth, economic empowerment, and sustainable rural development. The mission is also aligned with the "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" vision, aiming to make India self-reliant in animal husbandry through innovation, digital infrastructure, and community participation.

With over 9 crore livestock owners already connected to the Bharat Pashudhan network, the NDLM is steadily transforming India's livestock sector from a traditional, fragmented system to a digitally integrated, efficient, and farmer-friendly ecosystem.