This paper illustrates how the intervention in dairy project has influenced the livelihoods of large number of rural women in a sustainable manner by minimizing the various risks associated with dairying. It also analyzes the impact of the dairy enterprise on the income of the rural households on the one hand, and the process of women empowerment through dairying, on the other. The findings emphatically suggests that any project that eliminates marketing and price risks associated with any economic activity is likely to succeed, irrespective of its design (whether a cooperative or non-cooperative model). The best thing is to identify the constraints in value chain and all the interventions should be directed towards overcoming those constraints. It would automatically improve the income of the producers and would meet the logical end for livelihood promotion.

A lot of conscious efforts have been made by the Central and State Governments in India to promote and support livelihood opportunities for a large number of rural people including the women, since Independence. Some of the prominent programs started by the Government are National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA), Integrated Rural Development Program (IRDP), and District Poverty Initiative Program (DPIP). These efforts have been well supported by cooperatives and NGOs. Leading examples are programs run by Self-Employed Women`s' Association (SEWA), PRADAN, National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Indain Farmers' Fertilizer Cooperative (IFFCO), and Bhartiya Agro Industries Foundation (BAIF). The involvement of corporate sector, particularly agribusiness companies, in recent years has created tremendous impact on the livelihoods of rural people. Tata Kissan Kendras promoted by Tata Chemicals, E-chaupals network initiated by Indian Tobacco Company (ITC), and contract farming for tomatoes by Pepsi are some of the glaring cases, which show how the livelihoods of rural people have improved with the active support of agribusiness companies. All the efforts by various agencies are either based on sectoral approach (promoting livelihoods along a sector of the economy such as agriculture, or sub-sectors like dairy, fisheries) or based on segmental approach (promoting livelihoods for a v1ulnerable segment of the society, such as tribal people, women, etc.) or area approach (livelihood promotion in a specified geographical area, such as region or command area of a watershed).

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