R S Sodhi, who took Amul to new heights, steps down as MD

After more than a decade at the helm, R S Sodhi resigned as the Managing Director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which owns the Amul brand. Jayen Mehta, who has been with the federation for 32 years, replaced him.

Talking to The Tribune over the phone, Sodhi said, “I was already on extension for two years, which ended on December 31, 2022. Since I am also president of the Indian Dairy Association, I will continue to render my services to the industry.

Hailing from a village near Ferozepur in Punjab, Sodhi said he never aspired to have a career with the GCMMF, leave alone being its boss. He joined the federation in 1982 and for the last 30 years, he was positioned at the Amul headquarters and held various positions. He was elevated to the MD’s post in June 2010, when the federation’s turnover was Rs 8,000 crore. Sodhi realised with growing demand, Amul would not be able to expand, so he decided to procure milk from Rajasthan, Maharashtra, MP, UP, Bengal, Haryana and Punjab. This resulted in changing the fortunes of lakhs of farmers.