IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani has been elected as an At-Large Director on the Global Board of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), marking a significant achievement for India and its rapidly expanding cooperative movement.
Sanghani secured 526 votes in the ICA Global Board election held on September 15 at the ICA General Assembly in Panama City. He was India’s sole candidate in the At-Large Director election, which featured cooperative leaders from several countries competing for 15 positions on the 30-member ICA Global Board.
With 526 votes, Sanghani emerged as the third-highest vote-getter overall and the top vote-getter among candidates from Asia, Europe and Africa.
His election gives India direct representation on the highest governing body of the global cooperative movement and is being seen as an important recognition of the country’s growing role in international cooperation.
Sanghani’s candidature was backed by a sizeable Indian cooperative delegation, with India carrying around 25 votes. The campaign also received support from cooperative organisations and leaders across several countries.
His international profile received a major boost following the ICA Global Cooperative Conference and General Assembly hosted in New Delhi in 2024. Sanghani played a prominent role in the event, which brought cooperative leaders from across the world to India. The New Delhi gathering was also associated with the launch of the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.
A cooperative leader with more than four decades of public and institutional experience, Sanghani served two terms as a Member of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly before being elected to the Lok Sabha from Amreli, where he served four terms. He has also held several ministerial responsibilities in the Gujarat Government.
He has also served as President of the National Cooperative Union of India (NCUI) and currently heads IFFCO as its Chairman. The ICA candidate profile highlights his leadership of IFFCO, which comprises 35,700 primary cooperative societies representing more than 50 million farmers.
Sanghani entered the Panama election with a campaign centred on strengthening global cooperation through collaboration, innovation, digital transformation and inclusive growth. He also emphasised the need to ensure that technological advancement remains rooted in the basic values of the cooperative movement.
The ICA Global Board consists of 30 members, including the President, four regional Vice Presidents, representatives of eight sectoral organisations, the Presidents of the Youth and Gender Equality Committees, and 15 At-Large Directors elected directly by ICA members.
Sanghani’s election strengthens India’s voice in the global cooperative movement and opens new opportunities for greater engagement on cooperative development, technology and inclusion. For IFFCO and the Indian cooperative sector, his victory marks a significant milestone and reinforces India’s growing influence within the ICA.
Meanwhile, IFFCO’s Cooperative Relations team, led by Tarun Bhargava, played an important role in mobilising support for Sanghani’s successful ICA Board election campaign.
Bhargava has earlier been involved in securing the election of Aditya Yadav of Uttar Pradesh to the ICA Global Board on two occasions. He also played an important role in the election of Dr Chandra Pal Singh Yadav as President of ICA Asia-Pacific.
Besides, Ms Savitri Singh, who joined IFFCO as a consultant following her superannuation from NCUI, also played an important role in mobilising international support for Sanghani and contributing to his successful election.
