How Two Punjabi Brothers Became Australia’s Yoghurt Champions

In Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, orchards run for kilometres and dairy farms set the rhythm of the land. One of the more surprising stories in Australian yoghurt began here, with two Punjabi brothers who brought a very Indian idea, desi jugaad, to Australian dairy. No corporate lab, no multinational food company, just a small operation and a way of working.

Surinder and Jaspreet Singh founded Kisaan Dairy in Shepparton, and they have done what few small producers manage. They took on Australia’s fiercely competitive dairy sector and came out on top. At the Dairy Industry Association of Australia (DIAA) Awards 2025, Kisaan Dairy won six gold and nine silver medals, including the highest-scoring yoghurt in the country. For a young, independent brand, that is more than technical skill. It is a real breakthrough.

The name Kisaan means farmer in Punjabi, and it is more than branding. It carries the brothers’ respect for farming, learned growing up in rural Punjab. That bond with land, livestock and old dairy practices became the base of their Australian venture.

“We grew up understanding milk not just as a product, but as a relationship, with animals, with land, and with community,” Surinder has said in interviews. That thinking shows in how Kisaan Dairy runs today. Small-batch production, careful milk sourcing, and flavours that respect both tradition and new ideas.

The Singh brothers stand out for how they use desi jugaad, a term loosely translated as creative problem-solving or frugal innovation. In India, jugaad is a way of thinking, finding efficient, often unconventional answers with limited resources. In Australian dairy manufacturing, it turns into a real competitive edge.

Rather than copy industrial-scale yoghurt, the brothers experimented without pause. They took traditional Indian fermentation, which leans on natural cultures and longer setting times, and paired it with modern Australian food safety standards and precise processing. The yoghurt that came out is better in texture and consistency, and deeper in flavour.

Their approach challenges a common assumption in Australian dairy, that scale equals quality. Kisaan Dairy shows the opposite. Tighter control over each stage lets the brothers refine recipes in ways big producers often cannot.

Their standout product, the yoghurt that scored highest in the country at the DIAA Awards, sums up this mixed approach. Judges praised its balance, mouthfeel and clean finish, marks of both scientific precision and hands-on care. It reads as craftsmanship drawn from two cultures.

Kisaan Dairy is not only a story about good yoghurt. It is also about building a business as migrants in regional Australia. Starting a dairy brand in Shepparton brings its own hurdles, from supply chain logistics to market access. The brothers had to earn trust in an industry that tends to favour established players.

Their success reflects a wider shift in Australian farming and food. More and more, migrant founders bring global thinking to local industries, with new techniques, flavours and business models. That does not just widen the market. It makes it stronger.

For the Singh brothers, this meant positioning Kisaan Dairy at the intersection of authenticity and innovation. Their products resonate with a wide audience—from consumers seeking premium, locally made yoghurt to those drawn to its cultural story. In a market where provenance and storytelling are becoming as important as taste, Kisaan Dairy has found a compelling narrative.

The branding holds the same balance. Kisaan suggests simplicity and honesty, while the range speaks to quality and finish. The strategy is deliberate, to honour their heritage without being boxed in by it. The brothers are not making “ethnic” yoghurt. They are making Australian yoghurt, shaped by global traditions.

The DIAA recognition has lifted their profile and opened doors to new retail deals and industry partnerships. Awards like these are hard-won. They involve strict blind testing against the best producers in the country. For Kisaan Dairy to compete and win at that level shows how far their processes have come, and it backs their approach.

Desi Jugaad in Australian Dairy

Surinder and Jaspreet have stayed grounded in the plan they started with. Growth, for them, does not mean scaling at any cost. They would rather hold quality and expand slowly. That fits a growing shopper preference for transparency, sustainability and craft in food.

There is a cultural note under the success too. Kisaan Dairy brings together two farming identities, India’s long dairy traditions and Australia’s advanced systems. By joining those worlds, the Singh brothers have built something of their own, grounded in heritage and looking ahead at the same time.

Jugaad is often mistaken for simple improvisation. It is really about resilience, adaptability and ingenuity, the traits that mark out good founders anywhere. At Kisaan Dairy, it guides everything from product development to business strategy.

Their story is a useful case study for Australia’s food and agribusiness sectors. It shows the value of different perspectives, and what becomes possible when traditional knowledge meets modern technology. It also marks regional centres like Shepparton as places where new businesses can grow.

The Australian dairy industry faces steady pressure, from swinging milk prices to shifting tastes. Against that, a story like Kisaan Dairy’s offers some optimism. It shows there is room for new players willing to think differently and put real money into quality.

For shoppers, the effect is real. Every spoon of Kisaan yoghurt carries a story of migration, adaptation and craft. Food is rarely only about sustenance. It also holds culture, identity and connection.

The rise of Surinder and Jaspreet Singh is more than a business success. It mirrors modern Australia, diverse, busy and richer for the mixing of traditions. With an idea as simple and strong as jugaad, they have turned a humble dairy product into a marker of fresh thinking and cultural exchange.

And in doing so, they have made themselves Australia’s unlikely but undeniable yoghurt champions.