Efficient feeding management is the foundation of profitable dairy enterprise in livestock business management because feed cost constitutes the major proportion of total production cost. Scientific feeding of dairy cattle and buffalo aims at meeting the requirements for maintenance, growth, reproduction, and milk production in the most economical manner. Nutritional management directly influences productivity, reproductive efficiency, health status, and longevity of animals, thereby determining the overall sustainability of the dairy business. The nutritional requirements of dairy cattle and buffalo are broadly classified into maintenance requirement and production requirement. Maintenance requirement refers to the nutrients needed to sustain normal body functions such as respiration, circulation, digestion, and body temperature without any gain or loss in body weight. Production requirement includes nutrients needed for growth, pregnancy, lactation, and work. These requirements vary depending on species, breed, age, body weight, stage of lactation, milk yield, fat percentage in milk, and environmental conditions. Energy is the most important nutrient in dairy rations. It is required for maintenance of vital functions and for synthesis of milk components such as lactose, fat, and protein. Energy requirement increases significantly during early lactation. It is commonly expressed in terms of Total Digestible Nutrients (TDN) or Metabolizable Energy (ME). High-yielding dairy cows and buffaloes require higher energy density in the ration to prevent negative energy balance, which may otherwise lead to metabolic disorders such as ketosis and reduced fertility. Energy is supplied mainly through carbohydrates and fats present in cereals, grains, green fodder, and crop residues. Protein is essential for growth, tissue repair, reproduction, and milk protein synthesis. The requirement of protein depends on body weight and level of milk production. It is expressed as Digestible Crude Protein (DCP) or Crude Protein (CP). In ruminants, dietary protein is partly degraded in the rumen to ammonia for microbial protein synthesis, and partly escapes degradation to be digested in the intestine. Therefore, both rumen degradable protein and bypass protein are important in ration formulation. Oilseed cakes such as groundnut cake, mustard cake, soybean meal, and cottonseed cake are common protein supplements in dairy feeding. Carbohydrates form the major portion of the ration and are the primary source of energy. They are present in structural form (fiber) and non-structural form (starch and sugars). Adequate fiber is necessary for proper rumen function, chewing activity, saliva secretion, and prevention of digestive disorders such as acidosis. Roughages like green fodder, dry fodder, and silage provide structural carbohydrates, whereas grains provide readily fermentable