Sodhi steps down as MD of GCMMF; Board gives charge to Mehta

R S Sodhi who has been witness to the Amul’s phenomenal growth over a period of more than four decades resigned from his post as MD today (Monday), soon after the board of GCMMF met at Anand in Gujarat.

“I joined GCMMF as a sales officer in 1982 and put in around 4 decades and 9 months”, said Sodhi to Indian Cooperative. “I have seen Amul’s growth from Rs 121 crore to today’s Rs 71000 crore”, added Sodhi without highlighting his contributions to GCMMF’s trail-blazing journey in the intervening period.

Jayen Mehta, who has also logged more than 32 years at GCMMF and is currently working as its Chief Operating Officer has been given charge of MD, informed Sodhi. “Will Mehta finally take over as the MD”, replying to this Sodhi said that this is something I can not comment on and only the board is competent to take a call on the issue.

Sodhi, however, said that ”India is once again on the cusp of a dairy revolution and as the President of Indian Dairy Association, he has the whole of India as his area of operation. I mostly focussed on Amul’s growth but now I have the whole of India to implement my idea, underlined Sodhi.

It bears recalling that Sodhi was given an extension a couple of years ago after his formal retirement. Sodhi said he did not see any politics in his ouster while replying to a question if any politics was involved in his stepping down. “I was given an extension which was open ended and I decided on my own to resign”, said Sodhi.

This was echoed by Sumul Chairman Mansinh Patel who was also present in the meeting. Talking to Indian Cooperative Patel said, “R S Sodhi was on extension for the last two years and today he resigned as Managing Director of Gujarat Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF). The charge has been given to Jayen Mehta till the appointment of a regular MD”, he added.

Sodhi, was inducted as MD in 2010 after a protracted fight of the GCMMF Board to remove B M Vyas. He was the CGM then. When Sodhi took over as MD of GCMMF, its turnover was Rs 8000 crore. Sodhi and his team, which included the current nominee for the MD post Jayen Mehta, worked hard to take Amul to a turnover of Rs 71, 000 crore.

R S Sodhi was elected President of Indian Dairy Association (IDA) in July 2022. Sodhi replaced Dr G S Rajorhia. On getting elected as IDA President, Dr Sodhi said, “It is an honour for me to represent the IDA because Dr. V Kurien, my mentor, held the same position in the year 1964 and now I got the opportunity to lead this institution after 58 years”.

He was also elected to the Board of the International Dairy Federation (IDF) in 2021. “The Indian dairy industry is “Atmanirbhar” and has the potential to become “Dairy to the World”, he says.

Indian Dairy Association (IDA) was founded in 1948 and is the apex body of the dairy industry in India. Dairy Cooperatives, MNCs, corporate bodies, private institutions, educational institutions, government and the public sector units are members of IDA.

(Input from Rohit Gupta)