CLFMA of India elects Sumit Sureka as Chairman for 2026-2028

CLFMA of India, the apex body representing India’s livestock feed and allied sectors, has elected Sumit Sureka as its Chairman for the 2026-2028 term.

Mr Sureka is Managing Director of M/S Shivshakti Agro India Pvt Ltd and Amrit Breeder Farms Pvt Ltd, and a Director of Impressico Business Solutions Pvt Ltd.

Sumit Sureka

A career across feed, poultry and integration

Mr Sureka brings more than 30 years of experience in the animal feed and poultry industries.

His expertise covers animal feed for poultry, dairy, aqua and piggery, along with poultry breeding, hatcheries and broiler integration.

He also brings management and financial skills, and a strong understanding of the opportunities and challenges shaping India’s animal agriculture sector.

Shivshakti Agro India has been a member of CLFMA of India for over 25 years.

Mr Sureka’s own roles in the association include around 10 years as a Managing Committee Member and more than eight years as an Office Bearer. For the past six years he has served as Deputy Chairman.

He is also Vice President of the West Bengal Poultry Federation. He is an alumnus of London Business School and of Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi.

CLFMA of India said his experience in areas such as business leadership, animal nutrition, feed manufacturing, industry development and policy engagement will inform his approach to leading the association and strengthening its role as a representative platform for the livestock feed and allied industries.

As Chairman, he will lead CLFMA of India’s engagement with policymakers, industry stakeholders and research institutions, with a focus on shared industry concerns and the long-term development of the sector.

Maize and soya at the top of the agenda

The feed and livestock sector, CLFMA of India noted, plays a vital role in the country’s food security, farmers’ livelihoods and the availability of affordable nutrition. The association sees tremendous opportunities ahead, but also some serious challenges.

The biggest challenge today and in the immediate future, according to the priorities set for the 2026-2028 term, is the availability and affordability of maize and soya. Supply uncertainty and price volatility are putting tremendous pressure on the feed industry, on which the poultry, dairy and aquaculture sectors depend.

CLFMA of India said the industry needs to move beyond short-term firefighting and work towards sustainable, long-term solutions. This will require collective industry effort, better productivity and supply-chain infrastructure, and constructive engagement with the government to ensure maize and soya are available at competitive prices.

Four other priorities were listed for the term:

• ✅ Technology: with technology moving fast, some CLFMA of India members already have access to predictive technologies that can increase productivity exponentially. CLFMA of India will remain at the forefront in seeking out such knowledge and sharing it through knowledge sharing.
• ✅ Membership: increasing the membership base across the country, in all sectors, to ensure more collective participation and growth.
• ✅ Education and careers: creating awareness of the animal food industry and its opportunities across higher educational institutions, for employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship.
• ✅ Vision 2040: planning and creating a team to work on Vision 2040 for animal food, built around the theme ‘Most Economic Protein’, and working towards it.

These efforts will build on the association’s work across poultry, dairy, aquaculture, feed manufacturing and other allied segments.

CLFMA of India said it will bring industry perspectives into discussions on policies and practices that influence productivity, competitiveness and sustainable growth.

Chairman’s statement

Commenting on his appointment, Mr Sureka said, “I am honored to take on this responsibility at CLFMA of India and work alongside stakeholders across the livestock and feed industries.

“The sector has an important role in supporting India’s nutritional security, farmers’ livelihoods and economic development. Addressing issues such as feed raw material availability, input cost volatility, animal nutrition and production efficiency requires sustained collaboration between industry and policymakers.

“During my tenure, I look forward to strengthening this engagement, ensuring that our members’ concerns receive due attention and supporting initiatives that advance innovation, competitiveness and responsible growth across the animal agriculture value chain.”

Tribute to the outgoing chairman

Immediate Past Chairman Divya Kumar Gulati played a pivotal role in strengthening CLFMA of India’s position as a credible and influential voice of the livestock industry.

Under his leadership, the association further advanced industry representation, policy advocacy and stakeholder engagement, bringing critical sectoral issues into focus.

Divya Kumar Gulati

Office-bearers for 2026-2028

The Chairman will be supported by a team of office-bearers representing key segments of the livestock industry.

Together, they will work to strengthen coordination across the animal agriculture value chain, promote knowledge-sharing and advocate policies that support the availability of quality feed, balanced animal nutrition and efficient production systems.

Through continued engagement with members and relevant institutions, CLFMA of India will work towards addressing sectoral challenges and supporting the industry’s contribution to India’s nutritional security and rural economy.

The following office-bearers have been elected for the 2026-2028 term:

• ✅ Chairman: Sumit Sureka
• ✅ Deputy Chairman, Poultry: Abhay Parnekar
• ✅ Deputy Chairman, Dairy: Dony George
• ✅ Deputy Chairman, Aquaculture: Ramakanta V Akula
• ✅ Deputy Chairman, Others: Ram Kutty
• ✅ Honorary Secretary: Abhay Shah
• ✅ Treasurer: Nissar Ahmed
• ✅ Immediate Past Chairman: Divya Kumar Gulati

About CLFMA of India

Founded in June 1967, CLFMA of India is the apex body representing India’s livestock feed and allied sectors. It represents over 250 members across sub-sectors including feed manufacturing, poultry, dairy, aquaculture, animal nutrition and veterinary services.

CLFMA of India is recognized by Central and State Governments, livestock farmers, government agencies, agricultural universities, veterinary colleges and national research institutes.

As the voice of the Indian livestock industry, it advocates for sustainable growth, industry standards and policy development, contributing significantly to the advancement of the animal protein value chain in India and internationally.