THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Milma Chairman K S Mani has been elected to the Board of Directors of the National Cooperative Dairy Federation of India (NCDFI) for the second consecutive term.
The result of the election to the eight-member board of NCDFI, the apex body of dairy co-operatives in the country, was declared by the returning officer concerned at Anand in Gujarat on Thursday. Based at Anand, the members of NCDFI include federal dairy cooperatives of states and Union Territories.
National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) Chairman Dr Meenesh Shah has been elected the Chairman of NCDFI. The primary objective of NCDFI is to facilitate working of dairy cooperatives through coordination, networking and advocacy. Dr Verghese Kurien, the father of India’s White Revolution, was its founder-chairman.
A highly accomplished management expert and a veteran co-operator with decades of experience in the dairy sector, Mani was elected Chairman of Kerala Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (KCMMF), known by the brand Milma, in July 2021.
Reputed for pragmatism and dedication, Mani has contributed immensely to the growth of Milma since he took over as chairman, helming strategic decisions like brand repositioning and product diversification that reinforced Milma’s position as a market leader.
Mani also adeptly steered Milma through the challenges faced by the dairy sector during the Covid-19 pandemic and his sagacious leadership helped Kerala’s dairy sector thwart market penetration by outside brands.
Chairman of the Malabar Regional Co-operative Milk Producers Union for long, Mani has effectively taken up vital issues concerning the co-operative dairy movement and the welfare of the dairy farmers at national forums.
Hailing from Palakkad district, Mani has been serving as Chairman of the Malabar Union of Milma since 2020. He is also president of Ennappadam milk cooperative society in Palakkad district.
Besides playing a central role in maintaining the market dominance of Milma’s fresh milk and an assortment of dairy products, Mani’s deep market insight was behind the successful launch of a bouquet of value-added products.
A Post-graduate in Commerce from Madurai Kamaraj University, Mani’s managerial expertise has been recognized by the state and central governments by inducting him into various panels.
A member of the National Council of All India Management Association (AIMA), Mani had served as the Southern Region Chairman of the Engineering Exports Promotion Council (EEPC) under the Union Commerce Ministry. He also served as member of the Calicut University Senate and President of Palakkad Management Association and Rotary Club.
Mani bagged national level Star Performer Award instituted by EEPC for the export of engineering products in 2010 and 2016. He also won the South Zone Award of EEPC in 2013.
