IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani received a warm and celebratory welcome on his return to New Delhi following his election to the Global Board of the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA), with members of the IFFCO family describing the achievement as a moment of immense pride for India’s cooperative movement.
At IFFCO Sadan, a felicitation programme was organised where senior officers of the organisation greeted Sanghani and highlighted his achievements in the cooperative field over his long and distinguished career. Some officers later also visited his office along with their teams to personally congratulate him. Co-op Relations Head Tarun Bharagava and IFFCO-MC Crop’s Santosh Shukla were among the first to do so.
IFFCO Board members will also have an opportunity to greet Sanghani in person when the Board meets today on Thursday at IFFCO Sadan in New Delhi.
Santosh Shukla, who earlier looked after Cooperative Relations at IFFCO and is now associated with IFFCO-MC Crop Science Pvt. Ltd., led the greetings from the IFFCO-MC team. He congratulated Sanghani on his election and described the global responsibility entrusted to him as a matter of great honour for the entire IFFCO family and Indian cooperative movement.
Shukla said Sanghani’s long experience, vision and contribution to cooperation had received recognition at the international level. He expressed confidence that Sanghani’s experience and leadership would help provide fresh direction and strength to the global cooperative movement while enabling India’s cooperative model and philosophy to be presented more effectively on the world stage.
Tarun Bharagava, who heads the Cooperative Relations team at IFFCO, also conveyed heartfelt congratulations on behalf of the IFFCO cooperative team in New Delhi. “We are honoured Sir,” Bharagava said while congratulating the Chairman on his election as Director on the ICA Global Board.
Sanghani’s election came at the ICA General Assembly held in Panama City on September 15. The election involved 24 candidates competing for 15 At-Large Director positions. According to the ICA, 116 voters representing 193 members from 66 countries participated in the General Assembly. Sanghani emerged among the 15 elected At-Large Directors for the 2026-2030 term.
The result was particularly notable for India as Sanghani was the country’s candidate on the At-Large ballot.
He secured 526 votes and finished third overall, according to reports from the election.
The ICA describes its Global Board as a 30-member body comprising the President, four regional Vice Presidents, representatives of sectoral organisations and other members, including 15 At-Large Directors elected by ICA members.
Sanghani’s victory therefore places an Indian cooperative leader directly on the governing board of the world’s apex cooperative organisation for the next four years. His election also follows his earlier association with the international cooperative movement, including India’s hosting of the ICA Global Conference and General Assembly in 2024.
The warm reception at IFFCO Sadan reflected the significance attached to the Panama victory within the Indian cooperative fraternity. For IFFCO colleagues, Sanghani’s return was not merely that of a Chairman after an international election, but the homecoming of an Indian cooperative leader entrusted with a new global responsibility.
