A self-proclaimed ‘Proud Indian’ social media influencer on X shot to fame with a hilariously twisted, yet though-provoking post by suggesting a potential alternative to “corporate majduri” (corporate slavery).

In a now-viral SNS post, user @themayurchouhan, who has nearly 13,000 followers on X, recommended switching over to the dairy business instead of burning the midnight oil over at the traditional 9-5 setup (that is rarely ever constrained to those hours). Having visited his father’s farm on the weekend, as the social media post would have you believe, the X user noted how daily transactions amounted to a profitable monthly calendar.

Dairy farming: Viral post illustrates good-enough reason to relinquish corporate connections

Breaking down the numbers, he estimated 8 buffaloes producing 8 litre of milk daily (each), bringing the total to 64 litres per day. With the average market rate for milk set at Rs 60 per litre, he calculated the daily turnout to be amount around Rs 3,840, and the monthly numbers soaring as high as Rs 1,15,200. Even in case of monthly expenses climbing as high Rs 30,000 to Rs 40,000, he noted that savings would “peacefully” add up to Rs 70,000 to Rs 85,000.

Having branded his scheme “better than corporate majduri,” the X user’s claims gained quite the traction. While some lightheartedly laughed off the perceived scenario, others redirected everyone’s focus to some essential takeaways the post admin had glossed over.

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‘Corporate Majduri’ vs Dairy Farming: Internet reacts

Someone commented, “Don’t fall in this trap. Now a days it is very difficult to get money from milk. Cows/buffelos are costly it takes much to break even. Think twice before coming into this field.” Another person, though appreciative of the analysis, listed a few add-ons to take note of: “1. . You can’t milk them whole year, healthy buffaloes generally have a dry period of 2-3 months. 2. The milk quantity during the initial period is high and it gradually reduces as they conceive the next calf, neither the diet is same during the whole course.”

A few others pointed towards the financial toil needed to maintain the cattle. One noted: “Selling rate of milk is different as location wise. I buy buffalo milk Rs 55. And in buffalo maintance is high. You will not get same quantity of milk from all 8 buffalo every month. Take average of 6 buffalo. You will get milk of 6 buffalo but your expenses will for 8.” Meanwhile, another wrote, “The feed cost for 8 buffaloes is about 40K per month to get 8l/day milk output. Add the grass – dry and wet; water; labor; etc and it goes up to 90-100k per month.”

As someone questioned along the lines of wanting to know how much expense was needed to rear the cattle, deeming Rs 5,000 a bit too less, the original poster replied, “True, but in our case, helper expense is negligible — we provide him and his family with a room and food. Feed cost is also very low since we grow it on our own farm. The only real expenses are for medical and nutrients.”

On the flip side, a city-dweller gave a reality-check: “No young person wants to live in the village. It is peaceful if a city person lives there only for a week. Most jobs in villages are labor type jobs. This animal rearing on small scale is a back-breaking job and carries many risks. Owners cannot afford helpers.”

While many users continued to debate about dairy farming being non-taxable, the Income-Tax Bill 2025 introduced in Lok Sabha on February 13, 2025, established that income from dairy farming is now fully taxable and not considered agricultural income.

Dairy farming: What’s the ground reality?

The real-life story of Bihar’s Dilip Kumar, as quoted by TOI, hits close to the claims made in the viral post on X this week. The postgraduate degree-holder, though initially employed at a private firm, eventually switched back to his ancestral roots in his native village. His journey began with dairy farming just six animals. As returns promised hope, he chose to expand his operation at a steady pace, ultimately doubling his herd within a few years.

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As of now, he leads a modern dairy farm, which has 40 high-breed cattle and a milk collection centre. During the early stages of dairy farming, his earnings amounted to a modest number. However, now, his annual earning have surpassed Rs 1 lakh. His achievements were even recognised by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), New Delhi, as he was named the recipient of the 2023 Millionaire Farmer Award.

“Dairy farming offers a viable path to financial success, particularly in India’s thriving dairy market,” he said. “By focussing on key factors like animal health, good management practices and market awareness, dairy farmers can build sustainable and profitable businesses.”

On the other end of the conversation, Karnataka farmers signalled a warning against the scheme opposing corporate slavery after the Karnataka Milk Federation’s (KMF) recent Rs 4 price hike. According to the South First, dairy farmers noted that an average of Rs 300 to Rs 350 comes in from their work to feed a cow. Although the farmers claimed to be getting the full hiked amount, they said it wasn’t enough to reel in a decent profit, especially since it costs them Rs 30 to Rs 34 to produce a litre of milk while KMF snaps it up at Rs 35.

“We are given ₹35 per litre depending on the content of fat in the milk. On average, if we supply 20 litres of milk to the KMF (Karnataka Milk Federation) in a day, we are paid ₹700,” SK Ramesh, a civil engineer-turned-dairy farmer in Kolar District, who owns 20 cows told the outlet.

“Since I have labourers who work with me to look after a large number of cows, I have to pay them ₹500 per day. Above that, if we buy mevu from outside, it costs ₹7 per kg; if we grow it ourselves on the farm, it costs ₹5, if we include the water and electricity used to grow this grass into account. I  have implemented machines for cutting grass in the fields rather than manpower,” he added, noting that the milk price should be raised to Rs 55 per litre.

He argued, “KMF is not helping farmers much because it is just a cooperative society that takes all our milk to the doorsteps of customers. They also charge us money for the feed we buy from them.” He foregrounded that farmers weren’t earning enough, as dairy farming did not churn out “short-term profits, but long-term.”

“After a few years, cows will not give 15 to 20 litres as they used to. In such times, farmers undergo loss because we cannot feed the cow a lesser quantity of feed just because it is giving less quantity of milk.”