Fertilizer Industry Welcomes New President Ajay Shriram

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Paris: 4 June 2009-- Ajay Shriram, Chairman and Senior Managing Director of DCM Shriram Consolidated Limited (DSCL) , was elected President of the International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) on 27 May 2009 during IFA’s Annual Conference in Shanghai, China.

Mr Shriram is taking over from Thorleif Enger, who remains a member of IFA’s Executive Management Group as Immediate Past President. Mr Shriram is an Indian national and is also a Director of the Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) .

During his tenure, Mr Shriram will be supporting the Association’s international agenda to promote sustainable agriculture through programmes such as fertilizer best management practices, safety, health and environmental standards and the promotion of balanced fertilizer use, including micronutrients. He will also be involved in water management and nutrition and human health projects in relation to fertilizer production and use.

“Mr Shriram will play an important role in reaching out to farmer organizations, in particular given his company’s experience in providing agronomic services to small-scale farmers in rural India, through the Hariyali Kisaan Bazar initiative”, says Luc Maene, Director General of the International Fertilizer Industry Association.

Mr Shriram’s company, DSCL, is based in India with a group turnover of approx. US$ 725 million. Its diverse business portfolio comprises the following activities: sugar; agricultural inputs, chloro-vinyl products, UPVC-polymer window and door systems, renewable energy and rural retailing.

As Chairman of DSCL, Mr Shriram has been a strong proponent of the need to improve the last mile delivery of knowledge and products to small and marginal Indian farmers enabling them to improve productivity and thereby profitability.

In addition to his leadership position at DSCL, Mr Shriram is also Chairman of its subsidiary companies, DSCL Energy Services Co. Ltd. and Shriram Bioseed Genetics India Ltd. Mr. Shriram is a Member of the Rabobank International Asian Food & Agribusiness Advisory Board.

He graduated with a Bachelors degree in Commerce from Sydenham College, Bombay, and attended various training and management development programmes in India and overseas. He participated in the “Programme for Management Development” (PMD) at the Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.

The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) is a not-for-profit trade association representing the global fertilizer industry. IFA member companies represent all activities related to the production and distribution of every type of fertilizer, their raw materials and intermediates. IFA's membership also includes organizations involved in agronomic research and training. IFA has some 525 members in about 85 countries. The global fertilizer industry produces some 170 million tons of fertilizer nutrients annually. These are used in every corner of the globe to support agricultural production and food security.

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For more information, please contact

Ms. Morgane Danielou, Head of Information and Communications IFA
Telephone: +33 1 53 93 05 33 - General: +33 1 53 93 05 00 - Fax: +33 1 53 93 05 47