Amul Elects New Chairman and Managing Director as it Continues to Rise as a Global Dairy Leader

Amul, the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, is set to hold elections for a new chairman on January 24. The board will also consider Jayen Mehta’s candidature as the managing director (MD) of Asia’s largest dairy, as he currently holds the position of interim MD.

The current elected chairman, Shamal Patel, has completed his two-year half-term and the elections for chairman and vice-chairman will be held on January 24. Valamji Humbal, the chairman of Kutch Dairy, and the current vice-chairman of GCMMF, will also have his term end on January 24. Both Patel and Humbal were elected unanimously on July 24, 2020 in the elections presided over by the deputy collector of Anand district, in the presence of 18 member cooperatives of the state represented by their respective chairmen.

Patel is the chairman of Sabarkantha District Cooperative Milk Producers Union Ltd., (Sabar dairy) and has been associated with dairy cooperatives in Gujarat for over three decades. After the elections of chairman and vice-chairman, the GCMMF board will also make a decision on appointing a full-time managing director for Asia’s largest dairy. RS Sodhi recently resigned from the post of managing director of GCMMF.

Amul, which is currently ranked as the 8th largest dairy organization in the world, had a group turnover of ₹61,000 crore in 2020, and added another ₹8,000 crore to its group turnover in 2021-2022, growing even faster than its 12-year compounded average growth rate. This rapid growth was due to a rapid post-pandemic recovery in out-of-home consumption and demand from restaurants, catering, travel and hospitality segments, as announced in a media statement last year.

India’s share in global production is estimated to nearly double to 45% in the next 25 years from 23%. Amul’s success in the dairy industry has made it a household name in India and its continuing growth will solidify its position as a major player in the global dairy market. The upcoming elections for a new chairman and managing director will play a crucial role in shaping the future of the organization.