UDHAMPUR, AUGUST 12: Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Minga Sherpa today launched formalised, hygienic and mechanised Kalari Processing Unit under Vrinda Cooperative Private Limited, initiative funded by LBSNAA’s Centre for Cooperatives and Livelihoods.
In a landmark step towards formalising the district’s centuries-old artisanal cheese-making tradition, “Vrinda Kalari” – a unit of Vrinda Cooperative Private Limited – was formally inaugurated today at Kotli Balan in Udhampur.
The unit was inaugurated by Deputy Commissioner Minga Sherpa in presence of officials from the District Administration, representatives of partner departments and the women members of the cooperative.
The project has been conceptualised and taken up by Dr. Shagun Singh, IAS (Probationer, 2025 batch) and is funded through the Seed Funding Initiative of the Centre for Cooperatives and Livelihoods (CCL), Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie, in collaboration with the District Administration, Udhampur. Vrinda Cooperative Private Limited is a fully women-member cooperative, making it a distinctly women-led enterprise from its very foundation.
The initiative aims to formalise the production of traditional kalari cheese by introducing mechanised processing and more hygienic methods of production, which are expected to extend the shelf life of the product to at least 21 days – a significant leap from the very short shelf life of conventionally made kalari.
The long-term vision is to transform kalari-making from a household-level artisanal practice into a formal, hygienic and certified branded product. Once fully operational, Vrinda Kalari will be the first cooperative branch in Udhampur and indeed in India, to undertake both processing and market branding of kalari cheese under a single cooperative structure. The initiative envisions carrying the taste and heritage of this artisanal cheese beyond Udhampur to markets across the country.
The project reflects a strong convergence of multiple government departments and schemes. The Department of Animal Husbandry, Department of Cooperatives and the Department of Employment Generation have extended vital support through schemes such as the Integrated Dairy Development Scheme (IDDS) and Mission Yuva.
In addition, central sector schemes and the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) – have also been leveraged to support the cooperative. Throughout the process, the women members were closely handheld by district officials on aspects of mechanisation, quality processes and documentation, enabling them to transition confidently from traditional home-based practices to a structured/compliance-ready enterprise.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner Minga Sherpa reiterated the District Administration’s firm commitment to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of doubling farmers’ income and building an Atma-Nirbhar (self-reliant) rural economy. He said that Kaladi/Kalari carries strong potential to boost tourism and cultural promotion in the district, making it a natural fit for the One District One Product (ODOP) initiative. He further pointed to ongoing efforts by national research institutions to enhance the product’s shelf life and enable value-added variants, which are expected to further widen Kaladi’s reach in both domestic and export markets.
It may be noted that Kaladi (Kalari) already holds the Geographical Indication (GI) tag of Udhampur, underscoring its unique regional identity and heritage value. With formal branding and cooperative marketing now taking shape through Vrinda Kalari, the district administration expects the product to gain wider recognition while directly benefiting rural women producers through sustainable livelihood opportunities.
The inauguration event was well attended and concluded successfully, with officials expressing confidence that the Vrinda Cooperative model could serve as a replicable template for formalising other traditional and artisanal food products across the district and the wider Union Territory.
