The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA), the apex body of private sugar mills in India, has decided to appoint Sonjoy Mohanty as its new Director General (DG). The post has been lying vacant for the past four months since Abinash Verma, the former ISMA DG, resigned on April 29. According to industry sources, Sonjoy Mohanty will assume the role before 15 October 2022. He has been selected by an ISMA selection committee.
Mohanty has worked as the Secretary General of the International Spirits and Wine Association of India (ISWAI). Besides, he has experience of working for corporate and government programmes.
Abinash Verma had to quit as ISMA DG after an acrimonious dispute with the managing board of the association. Although nothing clear has been stated about this officially, he resigned after the dispute was aggravated in a meeting with member sugar mill owners of ISMA. A few weeks after this, his resignation was made official on 29 April 2022. According to industry sources, a major reason behind this dispute was the issue of the return of a major sugar group as an ISMA member.
Verma assumed the post of ISMA DG in September 2010. He remained on this post for about 11 years and a half. Earlier an officer in the Indian Railways, Verma served as Director, Sugar, in the Ministry of Food from February 2005 to May 2010 before he was appointed as DG, ISMA. He was also responsible for the administration of the Sugar Development Fund (SDF).
Sonjoy Mohanty, who is joining as the new ISMA DG, has a diploma in Marketing Management from IIM Lucknow. He has earlier worked for corporate and government programmes. The sugar industry will be a new sector for him.