Dr U S Awasthi the man who redefined IFFCO not only as a fertilizer company but as a rural movement was given a warm reception on the completion of 25 years as its Managing Director by the Board members on Friday at its headquarters in Delhi.
Passing a resolution in unison the Board requested the govt to accord the Padma Award on the man whose efforts to help farmers have few parallels in the history of India.
Awasthi joined as MD in 1993 and never looked back. In the intervening 25 years he went on diversifying IFFCO and came up with more than 17 subsidiaries across the globe. A prescient to the core, he set up IFFDC in order to protect environment and forest before any one talked about it- soon after he took over in the early nineties, recalls Yogendra Kumar, Marketing Director and an old hand at IFFCO.
“There are indeed many laurels to his credit”, said R P Singh, another senior Director. “And the best part is his
initiatives have attracted the attention of people like American President”, Singh said quoting Clinton’s appreciation of IKSL in the past.
Under his leadership IFFCO’s production of fertilizer rose from 24 lakh tonnes to 86.5 lakh tonnes and fertilizer marketing touched a figure of 1 crore 30 lakh tonnes this year, added Yogendra Kumar.
“Recently, it was due to Dr Awasthi’s efforts that the govt of India could save up to Rs 23000 crore in Oman. It was the conceptualization of OMIFFCO-again an Awasthi’s idea- that helped India save money on import”, said Kumar.
Awasthi has been a true friend of farmers said R P Singh counting several of his initiatives aimed at helping farmers. IFFCO-TOKIO, IKSL and the recently launched IFFCO-MC, Indian Cooperative Digital Platform are just some of them aimed at ameliorating their conditions, Singh concluded.
Awasthi was presented with a Silver Plaque by the Board members on the occasion as each of them queued up to greet him individually for playing such a grand successful innings so far.
Talking to Indian Cooperative about the toughest challenge he felt in these 25 years a modest MD said “there are challenges coming up one’s way every day but our successful efforts to keep politics and politicians at bay were most satisfying.” He mentioned denying Ajay Chautala the top post and having Surendra Jakhar as Chairman in 1997 as high-points of his career.
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Heartiest congratulations to the doyen of co-operative movement in India post 90’s. A jewel in the crown on farmer’s upliftment through self reliance .