Dr. Meenesh Shah Elected as the Chairman of NCDFI

The apex body of dairy cooperatives, National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India Ltd. (NCDFI), in its Board elections held on April 5, 2024, unanimously elected Dr. Meenesh Shah as the Chairman. The election was conducted by Praveen Chaudhary, IAS, District Collector/ Magistrate of Anand who served as the Returning Officer.

Before this, NCDFI in its General Body meeting held on April 04, 2024, elected eight directors on the Board unopposed which include, Dr Meenesh Shah, Jharkhand Milk Federation; Dr. Mangal Jit Rai, Sikkim Milk Union; Shamalbhai B. Patel, Gujarat Milk Federation; Randhir Singh, Haryana Milk Federation; K. S. Mani, Kerala Milk Federation; Balachandra L. Jarakiholi, Karnataka Milk Federation; Narinder Singh Shergill, Punjab Milk Federation and Sameer Kumar Parida, West Assam Milk Union. Apart from these elected directors, S. Regupathi, Executive Director, NDDB is the nominated director on the Board of NCDFI.

Subsequently, the newly formed Board met on April 05, 2024 and elected Dr. Meenesh Shah as the Chairman. Srinivas Sajja, MD, NCDFI shared that the newly elected Chairman of NCDFI, Dr. Meenesh Shah brings with him a wide range of experience and expertise from his being Chairman of several esteemed Institutions such as National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), Mother Dairy, IDMC, Indian Immunologicals Ltd (IIL), National Cooperative Organics Ltd (NCOL), NDDB Dairy Services (NDS), Institute of Rural Management (IRMA), NDDB CALF, NDDB  MRIDA, Anandalaya, Jharkhand Milk Federation, West Assam Milk Union, etc. Further, Dr. Meenesh Shah is also serving as Director on the Board of the International Dairy Federation (IDF).

Dr. Meenesh Shah has long been acknowledged for his pivotal role and substantial contributions to the dairy cooperative sector, fostering growth and sustainability over the years. The appointment of Dr. Meenesh Shah will significantly contribute towards enhancement of various initiatives of NCDFI aimed at addressing the evolving needs of dairy farmers and various stakeholders across the country. His leadership at NCDFI will definitely foster stronger collaborations within the dairy community to take forward the dairy industry.

Dr. Meenesh Shah expressed his gratitude for this opportunity and responsibility given and emphasised his commitment towards advancing the objectives of NCDFI and broadening its activities and reach across the country reinforcing the centrality of cooperative framework in the dairy and allied sector.

About NCDFI

• National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India Ltd. (NCDFI) is a national-level apex dairy cooperative registered on December 07, 1970 and is governed under Multi-Statethe provisions of the Multi State Cooperative Societies (Amendment) Act, 2023. It has 20 Regular Members, 14 Associate Members, and the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) as its Institutional Member.

• NCDFI is a National Federation of cooperative dairies, acting as a collaborative consortium with the primary objective of facilitating the operations of dairy cooperatives through coordination, networking, and advocacy, with a distinguished history which was formed under the leadership of Dr. Verghese Kurien.

• NCDFI is part of a vertically integrated multi-tier structure, which encompasses 28 State Cooperative Dairy Federations/apex unions at the state/UT level, 240 District Cooperative Milk Producers’ Unions, and 2.30 Lakh Village Cooperative Milk Producers’ Societies at the grassroots level. Collectively, these cooperatives have a membership exceeding 180 Lakh farmers, with approximately 60 Lakh being the women members.

Core Activities of NCDFI

• Institutional Sale: NCDFI has been crucial in facilitating the supply of milk and milk products under its Institutional Sales category to over 400 different defence units of the Army, Air Force, and Navy under the Ministry of Defence and several units of ITBP under the Ministry of Home Affairs.

• NCDFI eMarket: Responding to the need for a transparent and efficient trading platform, NCDFI launched ‘NCDFI eMarket,’ a digital platform that facilitates dairy cooperatives and other organisations’ efficient sale and purchase requirements of different dairy/agri commodities and services. The platform has been designed to provide customised services and facilitate online transactions to streamline the procurement and sale of a wide range of commodities and services. By creating a transparent and efficient marketplace, it aims to improve farmers’ profitability while ensuring that users have access to high-quality products and services at affordable prices. In the financial year 2023-24, NCDFI eMarket facilitated trades worth of Rs.4,968 Crore.

• Genetic Improvement: Partnering with NDDB Dairy Services (NDS), NCDFI contributes to genetic improvement in the dairy sector through the distribution of SAG brand Frozen Semen Doses. These doses, produced at leading semen stations across India, offer superior genetics at affordable rates, strengthening the nationwide artificial insemination program.

• Smart Dairy Solutions: Recognising the importance of quality equipment, tools, consumables, services, etc., in dairy operations, NCDFI, in collaboration with NDS, has ventured into the supply of ‘Smart Dairy Solutions’ to various stakeholders across the dairy value chain.

• Developmental Activities: NCDFI utilises its surplus to conduct various training programmes, workshops, and management development programs aimed at enhancing the skills and knowledge of farmers, AI technicians, and dairy cooperative officials. These initiatives cover topics such as clean milk production, animal productivity, and cooperative governance, contributing to the overall growth of the dairy industry.

Through its commitment to promoting cooperative principles, facilitating fair trade practices, and fostering technological advancements, NCDFI continues to play a pivotal role in the growth and development of India’s dairy industry. Its diverse range of activities and initiatives are dedicated to serving the interests of member cooperatives and stakeholders, ultimately contributing to the prosperity of dairy farmers and the sustainability of the dairy sector in the country.