Goat Breeds
Choosing the right breed is the single most important decision in goat farming. Explore India’s indigenous breeds — bred over generations for hardiness and local climate — alongside exotic breeds raised worldwide for dairy, meat and fiber performance.
Goat breeds in India: the short answer
India has 45 goat breeds registered with ICAR-NBAGR (the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources), plus a number of local populations that are not yet registered. They range from large, long-eared milk and dual-purpose goats of the north-west, such as Jamunapari and Beetal, to small, prolific meat goats of the east, such as Black Bengal, and the pashmina goats of the high Himalaya.
There is no single “best” breed. The right one depends on what you want to sell (meat, milk, breeding stock or fibre), your climate, and how much feed and housing you can provide. This page gives an overview of every breed we have a guide for, grouped by region and purpose, and links to the detailed pages.
How many goat breeds does India have?
As of November 2026, the ICAR-NBAGR register lists 45 goat breeds, with accession numbers running from 06001 to 06045. The newest entries on the list include Palamu (Jharkhand), Udaipuri (Uttarakhand), Battisi (Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh) and Totapuri (Rajasthan). Many older articles still quote a lower number, so check the date of anything you read.
Goats matter to Indian farming on a large scale. The 20th Livestock Census counted 148.88 million goats in 2019, about 10% more than in 2012, and goats made up 27.8% of all livestock. Rajasthan had the largest goat population (20.84 million), followed by West Bengal (16.28 million) and Uttar Pradesh (14.48 million).
Indian goat breeds by region and purpose
“Home tract” below is the state listed by ICAR-NBAGR. “Main use” is the purpose described on our breed page.
| Breed | Home tract (NBAGR) | Main use | NBAGR registered? |
|---|---|---|---|
| North and west | |||
| Sojat goat | Rajasthan | Meat / dairy | Yes |
| Sirohi goat | Rajasthan and Gujarat | Meat / dual purpose | Yes |
| Marwari goat | Rajasthan | Meat / dual purpose | Yes |
| Jhakrana goat | Rajasthan | Dairy | Yes (NBAGR spelling: Jakhrana) |
| Kota goat | Rajasthan (Kota area) | Meat / dual purpose | No, regional population |
| Mehsana goat | Gujarat | Dairy | Yes |
| Kutchi goat | Gujarat | Dual purpose | Yes |
| Surti goat | Gujarat | Dairy | Yes |
| Zalawadi goat | Gujarat | Dual purpose | Yes |
| Jamunapari goat | Uttar Pradesh | Dairy | Yes |
| Beetal goat | Punjab | Dual purpose (dairy and meat) | Yes |
| Barbari goat | Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan | Meat / dairy | Yes |
| Deccan | |||
| Sangamneri goat | Maharashtra | Dual purpose (meat and milk) | Yes |
| Osmanabadi goat | Maharashtra | Meat | Yes |
| Konkan Kanyal goat | Maharashtra | Meat | Yes |
| South | |||
| Malabari (Tellicherry) goat | Kerala | Dual purpose (meat and milk) | Yes |
| Salem Black goat | Tamil Nadu | Meat | Yes |
| Kodi Adu goat | Tamil Nadu | Meat | Yes |
| East and islands | |||
| Black Bengal goat | West Bengal | Meat | Yes |
| Ganjam goat | Odisha | Meat / dual purpose | Yes |
| Teressa goat | Andaman and Nicobar | Meat | Yes |
| Himalayan | |||
| Changthangi goat | Jammu and Kashmir (Ladakh) | Fibre (pashmina) | Yes |
| Chegu goat | Himachal Pradesh | Fibre and meat | Yes |
| Gaddi goat | Himachal Pradesh | Meat / fibre | Yes |
| Chamba goat | Himachal Pradesh (Chamba area) | Meat / fibre | No, regional population |
See all of these with photos on the Indian goat breeds page.
Exotic goat breeds kept in India
Exotic breeds are mostly used for crossbreeding or in well-managed stall-fed units. As a rule they need better housing and feeding than native goats to perform in Indian summers.
| Purpose | Breeds (origin as given on our breed pages) |
|---|---|
| Dairy | Saanen (Switzerland), Alpine (France / Switzerland), Toggenburg (Switzerland), LaMancha (USA), Anglo-Nubian (England) |
| Meat | Boer (South Africa), Kiko (New Zealand), Spanish (Spain), Damascus (Syria; meat and dairy) |
| Fibre | Angora (mohair), Orenburg (cashmere-type down) |
| Speciality | Nigerian Dwarf, Arapawa |
Full details are on the exotic goat breeds page.
How to choose a breed for your farm
Work through these four questions in order.
- What will you sell? For meat, look first at the meat and dual-purpose breeds of your own region. For milk, look at the dairy breeds. For breeding stock, choose a breed that buyers in your area already ask for.
- What is your climate? A breed usually does best in or near its home tract. Desert breeds from Rajasthan and Kutch are used to heat and scarce fodder; Black Bengal and Malabari come from humid regions; Himalayan breeds are for cold, high country.
- How will you feed and house them? Large breeds need more feed and space. If you will graze on common land with little bought-in feed, a hardy local breed is the safer choice. If you plan a stall-fed unit, read the stall-fed goat farming guide before choosing.
- Can you get good animals locally? Buying near home means the goats are already adapted, transport stress is lower, and you can see the parents.
For a step-by-step method, read how to choose a goat breed. To compare breeds side by side, use the goat breed comparison chart, or see a worked example in Sojat vs Sirohi.
Pure breed, graded or non-descript: what are you actually buying?
Most goats in India are not pure-bred. According to the Government of India’s breed-wise report based on the 20th Livestock Census (as cited in the Journal of Livestock Biodiversity, 2024), about 27.4% of goats were pure breed, 9.1% graded and 63.5% non-descript. So a goat sold under a breed name in a market may well be a cross.
That is not always a problem. A healthy local doe mated to a good pure-bred buck is a common and sensible way to start. But if you are paying a pure-breed price, ask to see the parents, check the animal against the breed description, and buy from a breeder or government farm that keeps records.
Frequently asked questions
How many goat breeds are there in India?
ICAR-NBAGR lists 45 registered goat breeds. There are also local populations, such as Kota and Chamba goats, that are known by name but are not on the register.
Which state has the most goats in India?
Rajasthan, with 20.84 million goats in the 20th Livestock Census (2019), followed by West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh.
Which Indian goat breed is best for milk?
Jamunapari, Beetal, Jhakrana, Surti and Mehsana are the breeds on this site described as dairy or dual-purpose milk breeds. Which one suits you depends on your region; choose one that is bred near you.
Which goat breed is best for meat in India?
Meat breeds are regional: Black Bengal in the east, Osmanabadi in the Deccan, Sirohi and Sojat in Rajasthan, Salem Black and Kodi Adu in Tamil Nadu. Start with the meat breed of your own area, because buyers know it and it suits the climate.
Is Tellicherry a separate breed from Malabari?
No. Tellicherry is another name for the Malabari goat of Kerala. NBAGR registers it as Malabari.
Sources
- ICAR-NBAGR, “Goat Breeds of India” (45 breeds, home tracts, accession numbers): https://nbagr.res.in/goat-breed
- Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, “20th Livestock Census: Key Results” (goat population 148.88 million, 10.14% growth, 27.8% share, state figures): https://static.pib.gov.in/WriteReadData/userfiles/key%20results.pdf
- Bhateshwar V. et al. (2024), Journal of Livestock Biodiversity 13(1), ICAR e-publications (cites GOI 2022 breed-wise report: 27.4% pure, 9.1% graded, 63.5% non-descript): https://epubs.icar.org.in/index.php/JLB/article/download/157995/56371/434531
- goatindia.com breed pages (main use and origin of each breed, as already published on the site)
Last updated: 11 November 2026. General information only; for animal health decisions, consult a qualified veterinarian.
Start from your goal — meat, dairy or dual purpose — and your local climate. Our breed hubs group every breed by region and purpose to make the choice easier.
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