Fertiliser cooperative IFFCO has announced the appointment of KJ Patel as its new Managing Director as US Awasthi’s term ended on Thursday after he turned 80. IFFCO Chairman Dileep Sanghani announced the decision of the board of directors and hoped that Patel would steer the cooperative major into a new era of innovation and value creation.
Patel, till now was Director – Technical, holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Saurashtra University and has over 32 years of experience in maintenance of nitrogenous and phosphatic fertiliser plants. He was also head of IFFCO’s Paradip plant in Odisha, the biggest complex fertiliser facility in India.
Sanghani said that Patel brings deep industry knowledge, proven strategic thinking approach that aligns with goals of IFFCO and the board is confident that under him, IFFCO will continue to work towards the welfare of farmers and cooperatives having built a strong foundation over the years. Sanghani also thanked the outgoing MD Awasthi for his invaluable contribution and dedication to IFFCO, a statement said.
IFFCO posted a 16 per cent increase in its net profit at ₹2,823 crore and a 4.5 per cent growth in turnover to ₹41,244 crore during the 2024-25 fiscal on higher sales of conventional soil nutrients as well as nano liquid urea and nano liquid DAP.
Awasthi’s contribution
Awasthi retired on Thursday after serving IFFCO for over three decades, for which he thanked the board members for giving him the opportunity to serve the cooperative for such a long period. Awasthi became IFFCO MD in 1993 and started its transformation into a world-renowned, professionally-managed, cooperative conglomerate.
An authority in the global chemical fertiliser sector, he was instrumental in making IFFCO a global leader in fertiliser sector. Under his tenure, IFFCO’s production capacity increased nearly four times (292 per cent) to reach 75.86 lakh tonne per annum. He was instrumental in IFFCO’s entry into diversified businesses and also setting up subsidiary/joint ventures abroad.
Published on July 31, 2025