Cows figure prominently in Indian mythology, but it is often overlooked how important the cows and buffaloes of India are. India is number one in the world in terms of cattle and buffalo population. Cattle and buffalo, that is bovines, as well as other livestock are considered an important means of generating employment and income among the poor. The article addresses the role of livestock in the national context, the participation of poorer sections in bovine keeping and the role of gender in the management of bovines. Then bovine keeping strategies of poor households are discussed (how do they manage to keep cattle and buffaloes?). Briefly sketched in the concluding part is the question of how liberalisation and commercialization will affect the participation of the rural poor in the livestock sector.
