Innovation spotlight: Milk ATM by Sunil Kolpe

July 16, 2025 Innovation Valli Sarvani

Sunil Kolpe, a 43-year-old farmer from Fulsawangi village in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, has introduced a groundbreaking innovation in rural India: a smart-card-operated milk ATM.

Installed on Diwali morning in 2022 in Mahagaon, this milk ATM has transformed the way milk is distributed, sold, and trusted in the community.

The milk ATM is a 150-litre refrigerated dispenser that sells fresh milk directly to consumers using cash, QR codes, or smart cards.

Customers can buy milk at any time of the day without middlemen, queues, or confusion.

More than 200 families now regularly use this system, recharging their smart cards to get their daily supply.

Here are the key innovations behind the model:

Direct-to-consumer dairy sales through a self-service milk vending machine.
Smart card and digital payment integration for ease and transparency.
On-farm infrastructure with milking machines, CCTVs, and cooling systems to ensure hygiene and quality.
In-house processing to produce value-added dairy products like paneer, curd, ghee, and buttermilk.
Circular farming by using cow dung as organic manure to boost soil health.

Benefits of the Milk ATM Model:

Empowers the Farmer

Eliminates middlemen and delays in payment.
Increases income through direct sales and value addition.

Builds Local Trust

Consistent milk quality and reliable supply create consumer loyalty.
Customers feel ownership with reusable smart cards and 24/7 access.

Encourages Rural Innovation

Shows how low-tech solutions can solve big problems.
Makes rural entrepreneurship visible and aspirational.

Improves Sustainability

Links dairy and farming in a circular system (milk + manure).
Promotes organic practices that improve long-term soil health.

Inspires Replicable Models

While not every village may need a milk ATM, aspects like doorstep delivery, on-farm processing, or community trust models can be adapted anywhere.

Kolpe’s milk ATM is more than a machine; it’s a symbol of rural India’s potential to innovate from within. It blends technology with tradition, and entrepreneurship with empathy.

His model offers a clear lesson: own your production, control your sales, and build trust in your local market. In doing so, Kolpe has not just built a business; he’s built a movement.

Image from Pxhere (Free for commercial use / CC0 Public Domain)

Image Published on January 26, 2017