The Hindu Business Line : Amrita Patel may succeed Kurien at IRMA

With Dr Varghese Kurien announcing on Monday in Mumbai to quit as life-time Chairman of the Institute of Rural Management-Anand (IRMA), its board meeting scheduled for June 8 is now likely to be a tame affair with the top body accepting his resignation and electing a new chief after the Indian Milkman's three decades at the helm. It may also be considered as the eventual triumph of powerful lobbies in the Gujarat co-operative sector.

Ironically, Dr Kurien is likely to be succeeded by his protégé-turned-bete noire, Dr Amrita Patel, Chairperson of the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), sources told Business Line on Tuesday.

Besides Dr Patel, two other high-profile names doing the rounds for the prestigious post were those of Mr Hasmukh Shah, Chairman of the Board of the Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design and Dr Bakul Dholakia, Director, Indian Institute of Management-Ahmedabad. Mr Shah and Dr Dholakia were among the five IRMA board members reinstated as co-opted members by the Gujarat High Court.

However, the two experts heading their respective institutions were unlikely to head IRMA as well, as this too was a full-time job. Hence, the chances of the choice of IRMA chief eventually falling on the Anand-based Dr Patel were more likely, the sources added.

This would also be the logical succession to Dr Kurien who founded Anand Milk Union Ltd, expanded it into Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation, then as NDDB and also set up IRMA to nurture these.

According to sources, Dr Kurien's resignation as IRMA chief became inevitable after the Gujarat High Court recently re-instated five board members opposed to Dr Kurien's status as life-time Chairman of IRMA.

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Verghese Kurien to resign from IRMA

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Amrita Patel may succeed Kurien at IRMA