The real culprit? Fodder. India’s dairy sector, which feeds 1.4 billion people, quietly depends on rain-fed grass and crops that are now vanishing due to erratic monsoons. When rains delay or dry up, fodder shrinks, feed costs spike, and small farmers (who produce 80% of India’s milk) start cutting corners; fewer feeds, selling cows, pausing herd growth. What follows? Less milk, higher prices, and inflation that hits every household’s breakfast table. The twist? National rain averages look okay; but local shortages in Karnataka, Maharashtra or Gujarat don’t show up on charts. And heat stress? It’s making cows eat less while needing more energy; a silent double whammy. India’s White Revolution never built for climate shocks. Now, the answer isn’t more cows; it’s fodder security: drought-resistant varieties, silage banks, insurance, and early warnings. Because the next big inflation story won’t start in grain markets. It’ll start in the field you never thought mattered; the cattle shed’s backyard.