Former Amul MD RS Sodhi joins Reliance Retail in advisory role to drive grocery business

Reliance Retail Ventures (RRVL), the retail division of Mukesh Ambani's Reliance Industries (RIL), has recruited RS Sodhi, the former MD of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which retails the Amul brand. In order to develop and integrate Reliance's fresh fruit and vegetable vertical with its grocery business.

According to the Times of India, the former GCMMF MD has been hired to assist the Isha Ambani-led retail company in strengthening its position in the consumer brands market and building on the expansion of its grocery vertical, with an emphasis on the fruits and vegetables space.

In January, Sodhi left Amul after 41 years at GCMMF. Since June 2010, he had served as managing director of the industry-leading dairy cooperative. The change occurs as Reliance Consumer Products, the FMCG division of RRVL, has been actively growing its market share by introducing new goods, including drinks sold under the Campa brand and home and personal care products.

Sodhi had a significant role in the development of GCMMF over time. The federation's revenue for the 2010-2011 fiscal year was barely Rs 9,774 crore when Sodhi took over as MD. It reached Rs 61,000 crore in the fiscal year 2021-2022. A distribution network is being established by Reliance using an omni-channel approach.

In addition to its own Independence and Good Life brands, Reliance Consumer's current portfolio also includes the purchased Campa cola and Sosyo Hajoori soft beverages, Lotus chocolates, and Maliban cookies. RS Sodhi completed his education from the Institute of Rural Management Anand in 1982 and had worked as a senior sales officer for GCMMF (IRMA). He held the post of Managing Director of GCMMF for more than twelve years before resigning in January.