Mumbai, Nov 28: Yet another Indian has moved on to take up global responsibilities at a top-notch multinational. Swiss giant Novartis AG has appointed Dilip Gokhale as global head (rice, cotton and cereals) in the seeds sector, effective December 1. Gokhale will also be a member of the seeds management committee and be based in Basle, Switzerland.Gokhale currently heads Novartis' seeds business in the Indian sub-continent and is also business head for rice, cotton and cereals in the Asia Pacific region. Gokhale will hand over the baton to Pawan Malik, who takes charge as the head of the seeds business for IndoPak.
Gokhales's appointment comes even as the Swiss giant has chalked out its global business strategy, which repositions the company as a "technologically driven" transnational, that anticipates and satisfies the needs of growers, processors and consumers with a broad range of leading-edge products and services to support sustainable agriculture.
In a presentation on Novartis' global agribusinessgame plan, Gokhale said that the new strategy was necessitated by the changing market environment. These changes include a growth in population, globalisation and consolidation, the evolving social and political environment and the opportunities thrown up by biotech research.
The objective of this strategy is to improve topline and market share, besides sustaining leadership position in the business. Novartis boasts of agribusiness sales of CHF (Swiss Franc) 8,379 and commands the number two position in herbicides and insecticides. It is the global leader in the fungicides business. Globally, Novartis has also set up an agribusiness "steering team" which works in tandem with a crop team (of which Gokhale is a member) and a research board. The Swiss giant is also open to acquisitions and is looking at companies in the SE Asian region.
Firm seeks nod to sell unit
Novartis India is seeking shareholder approval to "sell, transfer, lease or otherwise dispose of" its crop protection chemicalsmanufacturing facility at Panoli in Gujarat. The Swiss giant has convened an extraordinary general meeting on December 16.
The proposed sale of the unit forms part of an attempt to "streamline and consolidate" Novartis' manufacturing operations at the Santa Monica site in Goa. The Panoli undertaking, in the opinion of the company's directors, is in excess of the company's present/projected future requirements.
The unit will be valued by "expert valuers" and services of all employees, including executives and workers of the undertaking (believed to be around 80) will be transferred on the same terms and conditions with continuity of service to the acquirer.
Copyright © 1999 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.