Union Minister of State in PMO Dr Jitendra Singh has stated that the “Kaladi”, the GI-tagged traditional dairy product of Udhampur district of Jammu and Kashmir, has reached commercial threshold for local and global consumption.
He has shared this good news with Udhampur and other inhabitants of J&K on his social media handle. The Union Minister represents Udhampur-Doda-Kathua constituency in Lok Sabha.
“Kaladi Cheese, a GI tag product from Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir and popularly known as “Mozzarella of Jammu”, has gained popularity beyond the confines of Jammu and Kashmir. The product had won praise of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi also in his monthly “Mann Ki Baat” in its April 2026 edition. Even in his public rally in Udhampur in 2024, PM Modi had announced that he would definitely relish Kaladi during his next visit to the area,” Dr Jitendra said.
PM Modi, in his monthly programme, had mentioned that in India, food traditions were never confined, merely to taste.
“Indian cheese is an interesting part of this tradition. A few days ago, I shared information via a tweet. Two Indian cheese brands received prestigious awards at an international cheese competition held in Brazil. This achievement was widely discussed on social media. Many people have said to me that the diversity of cheese in India should also be discussed,” the Prime Minister had stated, while referring to Kaladi (Kalari) of J&K and “Chhurpi” of Ladakh.
Maintaining that a major change was taking place in India’s dairy sector, the PM had observed, “Value addition in this sector has given our traditional flavours a new identity. Today, Indian cheese is making its mark globally. Be it breakfast, lunch, or dinner, the taste of India is reaching the world’s plates. Take Jammu and Kashmir’s Kalari (Kaladi) cheese – it’s known as the “Mozzarella of Kashmir.”
The Gujjar-Bakarwal community has been making and eating it for generations.”
The Union Minister stated that as efforts were made to upscale the “Kaladi” for wider food applications and recipes, while strictly preserving its original flavour, texture and nutritional identity, the biggest challenge was to extend its shelf life.
To achieve this objective, Kaladi underwent technological intervention at the world class Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) Mysuru, Karnataka, Dr Jitendra said. He asserted that CFTRI Mysuru was the same institute which had earlier technologically helped develop millet recipes currently served, among others, by McDonalds.
Dr Jitendra stated that the CFTRI intervention led to extension of GI product’s refrigerated shelf life.
“It’s heartening to share that the results achieved so far include extension of Kaladi’s refrigerated shelf life up to 28 days, without compromising quality, texture or nutritional value,” the Union Minister said.
“CFTRI intervention has reached a stage where this traditional food product can be converted into a commercially scalable product that can be served in different recipes by professional food chains. As a next step, CFTRI has invited private commercial players, companies through Expression of Interest (EOI) for commercialisation of standardised Kaladi-cheese technology, as it happened in case of millets,” Dr Jitendra asserted.
The mozzarella of Jammu- the GI tagged indigenous cheese of Udhampur, is an important part of the region’s food heritage and rural dairy economy.
Kaladi was given the Geographical Indication (GI) tag in October 2023 to officially protect its authenticity.
Made from cow or buffalo milk, Kaladi is prized for its distinctive flavour, meltability and characteristic stretchability.
“In line with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to promote indigenous products, strengthen rural livelihoods and unlock the potential of India’s traditional knowledge systems, the Kaladi intervention will generate employment opportunities as well,” the Union Minister said.
