While thousands of young Indians continue to pursue opportunities overseas, a Punjabi engineer who once secured an Australian visa has built a thriving agribusiness in his home village, earning around A$144,000 annually through dairy farming, agriculture and consultancy.
Amrit Singh Buttar, 32, from Dhurkot village in Punjab’s Ludhiana district, made the life-changing decision in 2020 to give up plans of migrating to Australia despite having obtained a visa. Instead, he returned to his roots to establish Buttar Dairy Farm and Dhurkot Feed Industry, a business that has since grown into a multi-million-dollar enterprise.
Today, with an investment of around A$900,000, much of it generated through the business itself, Buttar manages a herd of 130 Murrah buffaloes, produces 500 to 600 litres of milk daily, manufactures cattle feed, cultivates 25 acres of farmland, operates a goat farming unit and runs a start-up consultancy for aspiring dairy entrepreneurs.
According to The Indian Express, the venture generates a monthly profit of ₹6-7 lakh (around A$10,800-A$12,600), translating to annual earnings of approximately A$144,000.
An engineering graduate from Chandigarh University, Buttar said his decision initially drew criticism from family members and relatives, many of whom believed he was wasting his education by taking up dairy farming instead of pursuing a professional career overseas.
“My parents wanted me to become an IAS officer, but I decided to start my own business and chose dairy farming,” he told The Indian Express, adding that it took years before others began to appreciate the vision behind his decision.
In 2021, Buttar convinced his wife, Ramandeep Kaur, who had completed a master’s degree in Environmental Science from an Australian university, to return to Punjab and help build the family business rather than settle in Australia.
“We often talk about brain drain and migration, but somebody has to stay back and build opportunities here. Money can be earned anywhere, but who will take care of our land, our culture and our villages?”
Ramandeep now manages the farm’s goat breeding unit, while Buttar oversees the dairy, feed production and overall business operations.
Before entering the industry, Buttar spent several months travelling across Haryana and other states to study successful dairy farms, breeding practices and livestock management. He also completed formal training at Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (GADVASU) in Ludhiana to better understand scientific dairy farming.
The farm currently supplies around half of its milk to Verka, with the remainder sold directly to private customers at premium prices depending on fat content. It also manufactures its own cattle feed using maize, wheat, barley and other crops grown across approximately 25 acres, reducing costs while maintaining consistent nutrition for the herd.
Beyond dairy farming, Buttar has developed a successful consultancy business for aspiring dairy entrepreneurs. Charging ₹5,000 (around A$90) per session, he reportedly earns around ₹1 lakh (around A$1,800) each month through consultancy and has already helped establish 10 to 12 dairy farms, including several started by Indians returning from overseas.
The enterprise currently employs around 10 people, including three women, and continues to expand. A new two-acre cattle shed is under construction as part of Buttar’s long-term plan to increase the herd to 1,000 buffaloes over the next decade.
“Dairy farming is not just about milk anymore. It is about genetics, nutrition, feed manufacturing, technology and value addition. If done professionally, it can become a highly profitable enterprise.”
His journey reflects a growing trend of educated young Indians choosing entrepreneurship and modern agriculture over overseas migration, demonstrating thatting that innovation and business opportunities can also be built at home.
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