At the 52nd Dairy Industry Conference & Exhibition (DIC) 2026, Novonesis underscored its long-term commitment to India’s fast-evolving dairy sector, positioning biosolutions as the bridge between productivity, sustainability, and nutrition.

In an interaction at the event, Mr. Jes Thyge Jensen, VP, Food & Beverages Biosolutions – Middle East, India and Africa, and Mr. Anurag Chadha, Director, Food & Beverages Biosolutions – South Asia, outlined how the company is localizing its global expertise to serve the world’s largest milk-producing nation.

“India’s dairy sector is seeing high growth”

India, the world’s largest milk producer, is witnessing rapid structural and technological transformation. According to Mr. Jes Thyge Jensen, the pace of change is unprecedented.

“It’s evolving hugely—almost like a revolution,” he remarked. “The growth rates are probably among the highest that we see in my region. I am responsible for the Middle East, India, and Africa—and India, in the dairy sector, is representing the highest growth rates, both because of all the innovation coming to market and because of increasing industrialization.”

He pointed to a major consumer shift, “We see more and more people buying from formalized retail chains instead of making curd and other products at home.”

The transition from household preparation to industrial production is creating new opportunities for innovation, quality standardization, and value addition.

Defining bio solutions for dairy

Explaining the concept in simple terms, Mr. Jensen described biosolutions as a natural pathway to value creation.

“Biosolutions are a natural way to add value to our customers. Typically in dairy, that would be milk producers, but they also add a host of benefits to consumers. We are talking about health, high protein, probiotics. For the whole value chain, including food waste reduction and sustainability, we are adding value with biosolutions. So it’s a natural way to add more of the good things you want and less of the bad.”

These solutions—primarily cultures and enzymes—enhance product quality, improve processing efficiency, extend shelf life, and reduce environmental impact.

Global expertise, local adaptation

With 11,000 employees worldwide and 10% of revenue invested in R&D, Novonesis brings global scientific strength to local markets. However, Mr. Anurag Chadha emphasized that localization is central to their India strategy.

“What comes first for us is always the customers and the consumers. The way we customize our solutions is by having a large presence in India, including technical labs and top-notch technical experts who interact with customers every day and at events like this.”

He added, “We ask them about their pain points and what they are hearing from the market. Then we adapt our global solutions to local needs. Sometimes, products we launch globally are inspired by places like India, and we even take those learnings back globally. So we are very much local and global at the same time.”

Balancing productivity, sustainability, and nutrition

India faces a dual challenge—addressing protein deficiency while ensuring sustainable production. Biosolutions, Mr. Chadha explained, cut across both dimensions.

Nutrition & Probiotics

“We are bringing many solutions for probiotics, which work very well in dairy. Dairy is already known as a good carrier for probiotics and gut health. Indians already understand that—it just enhances what they know.”

He stressed that probiotics deliver targeted health benefits: “It brings specific benefits like improved gut health and immunity.”

High protein without texture compromise

One key challenge in high-protein dairy is texture alteration.

“With the increasing demand for protein, one challenge is that higher protein levels can change the texture of food products and make them thicker,” he explained.

“For example, a drinking yogurt with 12 grams of protein can become very thick. But with our enzyme solutions, you can still maintain good flowability, creamy texture, and good mouthfeel.”

Sustainability & circular economy

According to Mr Chadha biosolutions also address shelf life, waste reduction, and effluent management. “We are helping dairy companies extend product shelf life, which helps reduce wastage, keep products longer on shelves, and expand their markets.”

Beyond product innovation, Novonesis is working on waste-to-energy initiatives: “We are working with dairy processing plants to convert waste into biogas, use the biogas for energy, and use the spent material as manure. This supports a circular economy—addressing both nutrition and sustainability.”

Reinventing dahi & plant-based dairy

In the traditional dahi segment, preserving authenticity is critical.

“We have been making dahi at home for generations, and there is a very typical taste and texture associated with it. We are trying to replicate that in industrial production, so consumers continue to get what they are used to,” said Mr. Chadha.

In parallel, plant-based beverages present new formulation challenges. “There is a need to match the creaminess of milk products without loading them with chemicals. We are working extensively on such bio solutions.”

Clean label and natural positioning

With rising consumer awareness around clean labels, biosolutions align well with market expectations. “Yes, we 100% enable a cleaner label,” Mr. Chadha affirmed. “Bio solutions are either enzymes or cultures. Cultures appear on the label by name—such as active cultures or active microbes—and they do not have INS numbers. Enzymes are used as processing aids and do not impact labeling. They are natural.”

He further explained, “They help remove certain chemicals from food products over time. For example, yogurts often use hydrocolloids for texture. We are developing high-texture cultures that reduce the need for them. Similarly, in bread, we can reduce emulsifiers and other chemicals, thereby allowing for a smaller ingredients list and a cleaner label. So we bring more naturality to products.”

Strong industry acceptance in India

India’s shift toward industrial dairy is evident. “Over the past two decades, industrial curd has captured around 65–70% of consumption in India. That’s strong consumer acceptance,” Mr. Chadha observed.

Probiotic adoption is on the rise. He notes, “Not all fermented products are probiotic—only specific strains offer benefits. As awareness increases through labelling standards and initiatives like Eat Right and FSSAI guidelines, acceptance is likely to expand. Consumers will also be willing to pay a bit more for these added health advantages.”

Showcasing “Next Level Dairy” at DIC 2026

At DIC 2026, Novonesis presented its “Next Level Dairy” solutions.

“We can offer more than 7 extra shelf life days for our customers with the right culture combinations, and plant hygiene conditions,” Mr. Chadha revealed. “We are also showcasing protein solutions for yogurts and drinking yogurts.”

In cheese innovation: “We are helping dairy customers expand their portfolios. We are even working with chefs to demonstrate how cheese can be used in everyday Indian snacks and bakery items.”

Sustainability solutions—including biogas and plant health initiatives—were also central to their showcase.

Scalability in a fragmented market

 Despite India’s diverse dairy landscape, scalability remains viable.

“The milk sector is moving toward two segments—industrialized and non-industrialized. The industrialized sector is growing at double-digit rates,” said Mr. Chadha. “There are around 300–400 plants producing value-added dairy products today. So scalability is definitely possible.”

A bright future for bio solutions

Looking ahead across the Middle East, India, and Africa, Mr. Jensen expressed optimism, “Clean label, high protein, and natural preservation are strong trends. Dairy is increasingly recognized as a health vehicle—especially for protein and probiotics. The future of bio solutions is bright because they help consumers, support sustainability, and improve cost efficiency for producers.”

Collaboration remains key. “Events like this are melting pots for collaboration—with customers, distributors, academicians, regulators, and industry bodies,” Mr. Chadha noted.

He concluded with a message of commitment, “Biosolutions are not cut-and-paste—they are iterative and collaborative. We are here to help, stronger than ever—still investing 10% in R&D, still focused on innovation, and even stronger locally.” 

From farm to fork, and from nutrition to climate goals, Novonesis is positioning bio solutions as a cornerstone of India’s dairy future—scientific, sustainable, and consumer-centric.