Vipul Chuadhary had hardly settled down after winning the coveted post of GCMMF’s Chairman when the news of the demise of Verghese Kuiren shook the nation in general and Amul in particular.
Chaudhary, meanwhile, had plunged headlong into steering Amul towards still greater heights. Indian Cooperative caught up with him and requested him to unveil his future plans.
excerpts:
Question: How did you feel about the departure of Amul’s father-figure Dr Verghese Kurien?
Vipul Chaudhary: Dr Kurien was our guide and friend and it is difficult to come to terms with his passing away.
I C: But he was not active in recent years?
Vipul: He was our Honorable Director till his death. We have become vulnerable in his absence as we had always grown under his shelter.
Question: What next? We hear you are eager to script yet another success story for Amul.
Vipul: We intend coming at the national level where we can act as a cooperative federation for whole of the country.
Question: But GCMMF is not even a multi-state cooperative society?
Vipul: That is an operational issue which can be solved. What is important is the idea of moving to the national level. With clarity of objective, we propose to have brain-storming sessions on the issue. We intend upgrading GCMMF as an umbrella cooperative in the dairy industry.
Question: How do you propose to go about this?
Vipul: We intend consulting with other Cooperative Federations. We can be a big support for the dairy farmers for the whole of India. GCMMF can market their surplus and the arrangement could be mutually beneficial.
Question: And the talk of DMS take-over?
Vipul: No no, its not a take-over, we have merely offered to operate it professionally. I have met the Honourable Agriculture Minister and now the ball is in the agriculture ministry’s court. I firmly believe, business should be done by businessmen not by the government.
Question: There is news about GCMMF venturing into organic food segment.
Vipul: No, not in the immediate future.