India's cheese story just got its global spotlight. In a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), Prime Minister Narendra Modi celebrated India's remarkable debut with 4 wins at the Mundial do Queijo do Brasil 2026. Calling it a moment where "cheese from India makes its mark globally," he highlighted how Indian artisanal cheesemakers are quietly but confidently stepping onto the world stage.
PM Modi Praises India's Big Win On A Global Cheese Stage
Cheese from India makes its mark globally…
India made an impressive debut at the Mundial do Queijo do Brasil 2026, which is a vibrant international competition for cheese and dairy products. Four Indian products won medals, including 1 Super Gold, 2 Golds and 1 Silver.
The…— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) April 22, 2026
Held in Sao Paulo, Brazil, this prestigious competition, also called the Brazilian World Cheese Championship, saw participation from over 30 countries. The entries were judged by a panel of 350 international experts. For India, this was a remarkable debut with 4 amazing wins.
Global winners:
- Three cheeses from Brazil, lugar Queijo Reserva do Vale, lugar Queijo Bacchus, and Queijo Passionata were declared champions.
Indian winners:
- Eleftheria Gulmarg, a Brie-style cheese from Eleftheria Cheese, a Mumbai-based artisanal cheese company, got a Super Gold medal, the second most prestigious honour. Made with cow milk, this velvety French-style brie is aged for 2-3 weeks.
- Yak Churpi-Soft by Nordic Farm, Leh (Ladakh), made from fresh yak milk, and Eleftheria Brunost, a brown cheese made from leftover cheesemaking whey, brought home gold.
- The silver was won by Eleftheria Kaali Miri, a Belper Knolle-style cheese. Aged for 1-2 months, this cheese ball is creamy and peppery.
These four medals made India's debut historic on a global platform.
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Traditionally, cheeses like Brie (France), Brunost (Norway), and Belper Knolle (Switzerland) have been seen as European staples. But India just reinterpreted these styles using its own terroir, milk, climate, and craftsmanship and won big.
As PM Modi put it, such successes "strengthen India's artisanal dairy sector on the world stage." "This victory belongs to our dairy farmers, our artisanal cheesemakers and the small team who show up every day for Indian milk," he added.
The Internet Is Beaming With Pride
The reactions on the internet were filled with surprise and pride. One user wrote: "That's genuinely surprising in the best way - India quietly doing things while nobody's watching and then showing up to a Brazilian cheese competition and podium-finishing."
Another comment pointing out how India redefined the narrative, "France invented the Brie. Norway invented brunost. Switzerland invented the Belper Knolle. India just beat them all at their own game." And the most poetic tribute went to Ladakh's win, "A cheese made by mountain herders at 11,000 feet - beating the world."
The recognition also shines on the people behind these creations, Mausam Narang and Thenlay Nurboo, who have been instrumental in bringing Indian artisanal cheese to global attention.
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Eleftheria Cheese, responding to the Prime Minister's post, shared a heartfelt note, "Eleftheria began with a quiet conviction that India has the milk, the terroir and the craft to stand among the world's finest cheesemaking traditions." They added that this victory belongs not just to them but to dairy farmers, cheesemakers, and everyone working with Indian milk.
From Himalayan yak milk to European-style techniques reimagined with Indian identity, this win signals an exciting time for the Indian cheese industry.