Amul MD Sodhi ousted, COO Mehta logs in

1 min read . Updated: 10 Jan 2023, 12:14 AM IST Suneera Tandon

R.S. Sodhi, an alumnus of Institute of Rural Management, will continue to be associated with the dairy sector.

Sodhi was terminated with immediate effect after a board meeting on 9 January, according to a notice issued at a meeting of the company’s board

NEW DELHI : RS. Sodhi has stepped down as the managing director of India’s largest dairy cooperative, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd, which owns the Amul brand, after serving for over 40 years. Jayen Mehta was named as interim managing director on Monday.

Sodhi was terminated with immediate effect after a board meeting on 9 January, according to a notice issued at a meeting of the company’s board. A copy of the order was reviewed by Mint.

“It is true. I have resigned. My contract expired two years ago. I was on extension and I have been telling the board I want to pursue other things. I’m also president of the Indian Dairy Association. The board has now agreed," Sodhi told Mint on Monday evening.

Sodhi, an alumnus of Institute of Rural Management, will continue to be associated with the dairy sector. “Whichever organization has a good value system, and founded by Dr Kurien, the future of that organization is good. When I joined Amul 40 years back, as a senior sales officer, its turnover was ₹151 crore. In 2010, when I took over as managing director it was at ₹8,000 crore. We will be closing this financial year at ₹71,000-72,000 crore," he added.

Sodhi joined Amul in 1982, and moved up in the organization to work across marketing, and sales, in various positions and locations. Sodhi helped expand the Amul cooperative network by adding seven new district level dairy cooperative unions, including Bhavnagar, Amreli, Junagadh, Kutch, Porbandar, Morbi, Jamnagar and Botad. In June 2021, the International Dairy Federation had elected him to its board.

Amul’s chief operating officer, Mehta, has been elevated as interim managing director.

Sodhi earned his Bachelor of Engineering (Agriculture) degree from CTAE, Udaipur, India; he is first-batch alumnus of Institute of Rural Management (IRMA) Anand, India. He has received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris-Causa) from Anand Agriculture University.

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In the year 2020-21, GCMMF reported a turnover of ₹53,000 crores. The Amul cooperative movement was born in the year 1946, as an offshoot of India’s struggle for independence. The cooperative started with two small villages collecting just 250 litres of milk per day, in 1946; it 2020-21 the cooperative handled over 29 million litres of milk on a peak operating day.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Suneera Tandon

Suneera Tandon is a New Delhi based reporter covering consumer goods for Mint. Suneera reports on fast moving consumer goods makers, retailers as well as other consumer-facing businesses such as restaurants and malls. She is deeply interested in what consumers across urban and rural India buy, wear and eat. Suneera holds a masters degree in English Literature from the University of Delhi.