Dr. R S Sodhi, Managing Director, Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) has been awarded the prestigious Asian Productivity Organization (APO), Tokyo, Japan regional award. Sodhi is the first person in the last 20 years from India to receive the award.
It bears recalling that over the last 11 years, under Dr. Sodhi’s leadership milk procurement of member unions have increased by 2.7 times (From average 91 lakhs Kg Per Day in the year 2009-10 to 246 Lakhs Kg Per Day in the year 2020-21) and such creditable growth in milk procurement was a result of the high milk procurement price of around 2.5 times (Rs. 337 per Kg Fat in the year 2009-10 to Rs. 810 Per Kg Fat in the year 2020-21) paid in this period to milk producer members.
The highly remunerative price paid over the years, helped to retain farmers’ interest in milk production; and better returns from dairying have motivated them to enhance their investments in increasing milk production.
The government of India’s National Productivity Council (NPC) under the Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce & Industry has unanimously recommended Dr Sodhi’s name for the APO award from India.
NPC provides training, consultancy and undertakes research in a plethora of areas. NPC also implements the productivity promotion plans and programmes of the Tokyo based Asian Productivity Organization (APO), an inter-governmental body of which the Government of India is a founding member.
The APO invites nominations from NPOs of member countries. The APO regional awards are conferred every five years and each country can nominate only one candidate out of the all nominations.
The award was conferred to those individuals who have contributed significantly to advancing the productivity movement in the Asia-Pacific region are eligible for the Regional Awards, and those in a specific member economy of the APO are eligible for the National Awards.
Dedicating the award to 3.6 million milk producers of Gujarat. Dr. Sodhi conveyed his sincere thanks to Arun Kumar Jha, IES, Director General, National Productivity Council, DPIIT, GoI for nominating him as the “Milk Man” for the award.
GCMMF and its member unions have implemented various Total Quality Management TQM) programmes since the last 22 years not only for marketing, sales and production teams but also for milk producer members of Gujarat. TQM initiative at all levels along with promotion of the concept of commercial, scientific, cooperative dairy farming ensure that it also helps retain the next generation of dairy farmers in the business.
GCMMF is the largest food product organization of India and achieved group sales turnover of Rs. 53,000 crores (USD 7.3 billion) during last financial year and aimed to achieve Rs. 1,00,000 crores (USD 14 billion) in next five year.
Every year, GCMMF achieved milestones because it’s member unions ensure that around 75 – 85% of consumer rupee goes back to milk producer members by constantly maintaining supply chain efficiency.