I Too Had a Dream

I Too Had a Dream by Verghese Kurien is an autobiographical account of how a young engineer, who initially had little interest in dairying, became the architect of India’s White Revolution. Kurien begins with his early life and education, including his engineering studies and training abroad, and explains how a government posting took him to Anand in Gujarat—a small town that would become the centre of a nationwide transformation in the dairy sector. What starts as a routine assignment slowly turns into a lifelong mission as he chooses to stay back and work with local farmers rather than pursue more comfortable, prestigious options. ​

At Anand, Kurien teams up with Tribhuvandas Patel and the milk producers’ cooperative that would eventually become Amul. He describes the challenges of building trust with farmers who had long been exploited by middlemen, as well as the technical and organisational hurdles of setting up processing plants, distribution systems, and a strong brand. The narrative shows how the cooperative model—where farmers are owners and beneficiaries—created a fundamentally different kind of business, aligning profit with producer welfare instead of extraction. ​

Kurien then widens the lens to the national stage, recounting the creation of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) and the launch of Operation Flood, India’s massive dairy development programme. He details negotiations with government bodies, international agencies, and entrenched interests that resisted change, emphasising how data, discipline, and a clear moral stance helped push through reforms. The book presents not only success stories but also setbacks, conflicts, and political pressures, making it clear that building large, farmer‑centric institutions required both strategic acumen and personal courage. ​

Throughout the book, Kurien reflects on leadership and ethics, arguing that true development must be measured by its impact on ordinary people, especially those in villages who had historically been left out of growth stories. He is candid about his disagreements with bureaucrats and officials who saw cooperatives as threats rather than partners, and he insists that institutions be designed to outlast individuals by being rooted in strong values rather than personality cults. By the end, “I Too Had a Dream” reads as both a personal story of conviction and a blueprint for mission‑driven business: how clear purpose, robust systems, and unwavering focus on stakeholders can transform an entire sector and the lives of millions