<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/53708970.cms" /> 
 In a small town called <keyword id="2648" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anand">Anand</keyword> in western India in 1946 farmers were having a difficult time having to deal with the exploitative trade practices followed by the local trade cartel. Refusing to be cowed down by the cartel, farmers of this area went on a milk strike. And they approached the great Indian patriot Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for a solution. His advice was natural, start a cooperative movement. 
 
And they did. 
 
Inspired by India’s freedom struggle, it all began when farmers in a small town near Anand city in Gujarat made milk as a symbol of protest. Tribhuvandas Patel was a local leader who had been imprisoned number of times during India’s struggle for freedom. With the help of his supporters, he found a dairy co-operative in 1946 in Anand. The cooperative movement was a movement against the atrocities of Polson Dairy, a locally-owned dairy in Anand, which procured milk from farmers at very low rates to sell to the Bombay (now Mumbai) government. 
 28 year old Mechanical Engineer from Kerala, <keyword id="168701" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Verghese-Kurien">Verghese Kurien</keyword> arrived in Anand in 1949 as a government employee to manage a dairy. Fed up with his monotonous and unchallenging job he had already made up his mind to leave but upon Tribhuvandas Patel’s request he agreed to stay back for few months to oversee installation of the newly ordered machineries. No one then knew that Dr. Kurien would never leave Anand and make it the milk capital of India. In 1955 <keyword id="26280" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="amul">Amul</keyword> (then short for Anand Milk Union Ltd) was born. Verghese Kurien was in almost every way the architect of Amul. He went from helping farmers repair their machinery to revolutionising the Indian dairy industry by scripting Operation Flood, a cooperative movement that turned India from a net importer of milk into one of the world’s largest producers. Not for nothing was Dr. Verghese Kurien called the Milkman of India. 
 
The first dairy, Kaira District Co-operative Milk Producers’ Union, which created Amul in 1955, handed over the brand name to Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF) in 1973. Thus, in 1973 the GCMMF was established to market milk and milk products manufactured by six district cooperative unions of Gujarat. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/53709053.cms" /> 
 Branding played a major role for Amul’s success, the (original) Amul Girl was created by <keyword id="245066" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sylvester-daCunha">Sylvester daCunha</keyword> (daCunha Communications) to counter the Polson dairy girl. Polson’s sexy village belle didn’t stand a chance to the tubby little moppet in the polka-dotted dress and a matching ribbon. Amul ads were cleverly designed to add a tinge of nationalism to an essentially rural revolution. The first Amul Ad campaign came in 1967 in Bombay (now Mumbai). And the response was phenomenal... and continues to be. Amul is also credited with a Guinness world record for longest running ad campaign of the world for its Utterly Butterly girl portraying day-to-day issues since 1967. In 1977, the Amul story was showcased through a Hindi movie titled Manthan directed by Shyam Benegal starring Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad, Smita Patil and Amrish Puri which also won National award for best film. The movie again demonstrated the power of collective might as the movie was financed by a contribution of Rs. 2 by 5 lakh farmers. 
 
And then, Amul became a brandname in its own right. It is said that for Operation Flood, Kurien’s idea of having farmers own the brand went a long way in creating a sense of ownership and, in turn, responsibility for the product’s quality. Since the mid-90s, Amul has been able to take the range outside the security of traditional products, milk powder and butter. Amul diversified to everything from ice-cream, curd to long-life flavoured milk. Brand Amul is now present in over 50 countries. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/53709061.cms" /> 
 
Amul has come a long way since its inception. The contribution of Amul in development of rural India as well as economic growth of the nation is legendary.

Inspired by India’s Freedom Struggle: Amul - The Brand, The Revolution, and The Campaign

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50283504.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
Slyvester daCunha got the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=amul">Amul</a> account in 1966 when they zeroed in on the advertising agency called Advertising and Sales Promotion (ASP) to work on their ad campaign. Sylvester da Cunha, then the managing director of the agency and Eustace Fernandez, the art director decided to create something that would grab the attention of every housewife in the country. 
 
Dr <keyword id="168701" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Verghese-Kurien">Verghese Kurien</keyword>, the hen chairman of the Gujarat Co-operative <keyword id="6362951" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="80" keywordseo="milk">Milk</keyword> Marketing Federation Ltd. (GCMMF) suggested a mischievous little girl as a mascot with two requirements. 
 
It had to be easy to draw and memorable. 
 And, the <keyword id="125015" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Amul-girl">Amul girl</keyword>, who has been synoynmous with the brand was thus born. 
 His son, <keyword id="322298" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rahul-DaCunha">Rahul daCunha</keyword> inherited the <keyword id="26280" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="amul">Amul</keyword> and kept the legacy alive. 
 
Hence, topical ads commenting on the situation in the country found a place in billboards and newspapers alike delighting us with their wit. 
 
As of the present, the team that produces up to six of these cartoons/ads per week comprises just three people: Rahul daCunha, creative head of ad-agency daCunha Communications, copy writer Manish Jhaveri and Jayant Rane, the artist who has been sketching Amul cartoons for a quarter-century now. 
 
Amul makes advertising a generic commodity like butter seem like an easy task with their clever use of puns on current events so much so that they have us waiting with bated breath for their take on anything and everything that has happened in the country. 
 
And, how can we forget the Amul Girl? She's become an indispensable part of every Indian's life. 
 
While it's close to impossible to pick favourites considering all the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=amul+ad">Amul ads</a> are brillinat in their own right, we at Business Insider went ahead and tried drawing up a list of our ten favourite Amul print ads from 2015. 
 
Have a look!

BI Year Roundup: Looking back at our 10 favourite Amul ads from 2015

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48280811.cms" /><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Whistleblower+">Whistleblower</a> bureaucrat <keyword id="1885007" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Sanjeev-Chaturvedi">Sanjeev Chaturvedi</keyword> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=human+rights+activist+">human rights activist</a> <keyword id="280021" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Anshu-Gupta">Anshu Gupta</keyword> are among five people from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Indian+Institute+of+Technology-Bombay+">India</a>, Myanmar, Laos and the <keyword id="3750" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Philippines">Philippines</keyword> who will receive Asia’s coveted <keyword id="270398" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ramon-Magsaysay">Ramon Magsaysay</keyword> Award this year. 
 Chaturvedi, who was removed from the post of <keyword id="84569" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="chief-vigilance-officer">Chief Vigilance Officer</keyword> at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=AIIMS">AIIMS</a> in August 2014, was recognised for “his exemplary integrity, courage and tenacity in uncompromisingly exposing and painstakingly investigating <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=corruption+">corruption</a> in public office…”, while Anshu Gupta, founder of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=NGO">NGO</a> Goonj, will be facilitated for “his creative vision in transforming the culture of giving in India, his enterprising <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=leadership+">leadership</a> in treating cloth as a sustainable development resource for the poor…” 
 
But they are not the only recipient of the premier prize. We bring you 10 Indians who are conferred with the Asia's highest honour. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes/ RMA Foundation/YouTube/gurumavin.com)

10 Indians who received Asia’s coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/38994694.cms" /> <keyword id="153607" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="social-entrepreneurship">Social entrepreneurship</keyword> is the application of business acumen, strategies and entrepreneur skills not for profit but to improve the conditions of human beings and the environment, and India does need it for effective social change, growth and reforms. 
 
Despite the best efforts of the government and other organisations, about 400 million Indians live on less than $1 per day. The 2012 HDI (human development index) report for countries indicates a poor ranking of 136 out of 187 for India. 
 
India has been concentrating on a growth index through manufacturing and IT sectors but the resulting benefits have not gone to the bottom of the pyramid. Income inequality has doubled in the last 20 years. 
 
India is unique in the diversity of its regions and people. Often local problems need local solutions. It is here that social entrepreneurship or social entrepreneurs or SOCENTS come into the picture and build bridges to social improvement. 
 
Combine this with the Indian spirit of Jugaad and there have been innumerable instances of simple inventions and adaptations that have changed life for the better not just economically, but on the comfort level also. 
 
A growing change in the perception of life goals has led to a large number of educated, highly trained professionals turning into SOCENTS. This is desirable as they bring their professional and business acumen and can create and put into place working, sustainable and profitable solutions to local problems. 
 Harish Hande, co-founder of <keyword id="1535069" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Selco-Solar">Selco Solar</keyword>, has over the past 18 years through his company installed over 1.35-lakh solar systems. He went a step further and created an entire ecosystem, including finance and farmer co-operatives to create income generating activities. The Selco Incubation Centre mentors social entrepreneurs. Selco Foundation, the philanthropic segment of Selco, provides the rural poor with renewable energy services that they can use for income generating activities. 
 <keyword id="168701" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Verghese-Kurien">Verghese Kurien</keyword>, father of the Milk Revolution, turned India form a milk importer to the world’s largest milk producer and today AMUL is a byword in milk and dairy products. 
 
Interestingly, many of the projects have not been single product innovations but have led to all-round related growth and development. They have transformed not just individuals but communities and in the case of Kurien the whole country. 
 
Eye care was one of the most neglected health sectors in India. Doctor G Venkataswamy founded the Aravind Eye Hospital, which is today one of the world’s largest facilities for affordable, top-quality eye care. 
 
Vaatsalya Healthcare brought healthcare to the rural poor. 
 
Doctor Sugata Mishra’s Hole in the Wall experiment with computer accessibility to untrained poor children was a success in making computer knowledge available and was a starting point for other social enterprises for furthering computer education amongst the poor. 
 
The list is endless. India is the global centre for social entrepreneurship. 
 
However, the biggest boon has been the rise of ‘Microfinance’. Vikram Akula established SKS Microfinance in 1988 paving the way for several social microfinance set ups such as Milaap at the grass root level. 
 
The tremendous contribution made by SOCENTS should be encouraged. The government should make it easier for Indian and foreign investments in Socents via easy taxation policies, regulatory frameworks and guidelines. The government could also create social impact bonds like in the United Kingdom to encourage social innovation. Another project that can be emulated is the Singapore Impact Investment Fund that provides private and public platforms for raising capital efficiently for social enterprises. 
 
The corporate sector has also contributed and the Tata group has been in the forefront through their various trusts and the Tata School of Social Sciences in fostering social entrepreneurship. The Shell Foundation-funded Husk Power Systems in its enterprise to obtain power from rice husk. 
 
The government has now made it mandatory through the CSR Bill (corporate social responsibility in the new Companies Act) for big corporations to set aside 2% of their profits for social programmes that include investments in social business ventures. This will open up funding of more than a billion dollars for Socents and further growth of social entrepreneurship in India. 
 
India should take into account depleting natural resources and focus on environment-friendly and sustaining social innovations to balance growth with environment concerns. The China example of economic growth at the cost of rising pollution should serve as a deterrent. Pollution has become one of the major causes of social unrest in China. 
 
The changes in economic models from capitalism to a more socially responsible capitalism have thrown the focus on social entrepreneurship. 
 
Social entrepreneurship is here to stay and could well be the major economic growth factor for India and to achieve the ‘Indian dream - sarvajana sukhonobhava’, ie, let everyone be happy.

Social Entrepreneurship In India Is The Panacea For Social Change And Improvement

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50743202.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> They all get up in the morning, eat, work and sleep; the daily routine we all follow to survive. Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the game called ‘survival of the fittest’, what is it that they did differently to be counted amongst the ‘fittest’ to survive? <keyword id="3161596" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="TV-RAO">TV Rao</keyword>, the ‘Father of Indian HRD’ discusses the strategies that made them one of the greatest entrepreneurs of all time. He discusses in his new book ‘Effective People’ the researches done by S. N. Chary and Srinivas Pandit, who studied Indian business leaders: <keyword id="55796" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kiran-Mazumdar-Shaw">Kiran Mazumdar Shaw</keyword>, <keyword id="6419840" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Azim-Premji">Azim Premji</keyword>, <keyword id="28113" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Narayan-Murthy">Narayan Murthy</keyword>, <keyword id="3820" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mukesh-Ambani">Mukesh Ambani</keyword>, Venu Srinivasan, Deepak Parekh, Ronnie Screwwala, Ashok Soota, B. Kelkar and Dr. Verghese Kurien. To his surprise, these leaders, though made their mark in different fields, all share the same traits that made them great names of the business world. 
 
The following emerged from her study. 
 
(Image credits: themuse)

You Searched For "Verghese Kurien" and got 5 results

Inspired by India’s Freedom Struggle: Amul - The Brand, The Revolution, and The Campaign

Nazia Bijal

BI Year Roundup: Looking back at our 10 favourite Amul ads from 2015

Poulomi Das

10 Indians who received Asia’s coveted Ramon Magsaysay Award

Gunja Deo

Social Entrepreneurship In India Is The Panacea For Social Change And Improvement

Preetam Kaushik

9 qualities Premji, Narayan Murthy, Mukesh Ambani, V. Kurien and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw shared that led to their success

Usha Rani Das