New ₹2.2-crore facility will strengthen quality testing of milk, dairy products, drinking water and wastewater.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay inaugurated the new annex building of Aavin’s State Central Laboratory at the Madhavaram dairy complex in Chennai, strengthening the cooperative dairy network’s quality-testing infrastructure. The facility has been established at a cost of about ₹2.2 crore and is equipped to conduct a wide range of quality tests required by Aavin and district cooperative milk producers’ unions.
The laboratory has been designed to support accurate and efficient testing of milk and dairy products handled by the Tamil Nadu Cooperative Milk Producers’ Federation. According to officials, the facility has modern equipment and is intended to deliver test results in line with applicable standards.
In addition to dairy-related testing, the facility will conduct drinking water tests in accordance with standards prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI). Wastewater testing will also be carried out in accordance with regulations set by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).
During his visit, Chief Minister Vijay inspected the operations of the Madhavaram dairy, including its milk-handling and distribution activities. The facility currently handles around 4.5 lakh litres of milk per day, making it an important part of Aavin’s supply network serving Chennai and surrounding areas.
The Chief Minister also reviewed construction work on a new dairy facility being developed at the Madhavaram complex. The project has an estimated investment of ₹152.3 crore and is planned with a milk-handling capacity of seven lakh litres per day. Vijay instructed officials to ensure that the ongoing construction work is completed within the stipulated timeframe.
The addition of the central laboratory facility is expected to support Aavin’s quality-control processes as the cooperative federation continues to manage milk procurement, processing and distribution across Tamil Nadu. By expanding testing capabilities within the dairy complex, the facility can help strengthen monitoring of products and related operations throughout the supply chain.
The inauguration also comes as Aavin continues to focus on improving its dairy infrastructure and operational capacity. The new laboratory, together with the planned expansion of the Madhavaram dairy, represents an investment in testing and processing infrastructure that could support the cooperative’s future milk-handling requirements.