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People

Nishant Kanodia, chairman of Matix Fertilisers and Chemicals Ltd, has been appointed to the board of directors of the International Fertilizer Association (IFA). The appointment was formalised at the IFA Annual Conference 2025 in Monaco, with the theme of ‘Investing in the Future of Food’. With approximately 500 members across more than 80 countries, IFA champions policy, innovation, and sustainable fertilizer practices that contribute to global food security.

Alzbeta Klein, CEO & Director General of IFA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Nishant Kanodia to the IFA Board. India’s pivotal role in global agriculture, together with Mr. Kanodia’s visionary leadership, will be instrumental in advancing IFA’s mission for sustainable, resilient food systems worldwide.”

India’s agricultural sector has transformed a mid-20th-century food scarcity to becoming a leading global producer of staples, cereals, pulses, fruits, and vegetables. Through technology adoption, nutrient management, and farmer empowerment, India now plays a central role in global food security and consciously contributing to climate-resilient farming.

Speaking on his induction to the IFA board, Nishant Kanodia said: “It is a privilege to join the IFA board at a time when India is increasingly central to global food security. The need for balanced nutrient management and innovation-driven growth has never been greater. I look forward to supporting IFA’s efforts to empower farmers, protect ecosystems, and enhance productivity globally and in India.”

Nishant Kanodia, Chairman, Matix Fertilisers and Chemicals.

Under Mr. Kanodia’s leadership, Matix Fertilisers has established itself as a market leader in eastern India, with a 20% share of the region’s urea market. It produced a record 1.47 million tonnes of fertilizer in the 2024-25 fertilizer year at its facility in Panagarh, West Bengal, operating at over 115% of annual rated capacity.

In a regulatory filing, Tata Chemicals has said that N Chandrasekaran will step down as chairman and director effective from May 29th 2025. S Padmanabhan has been appointed as the company’s new chairman. Additionally, acting on the recommendations of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, the board approved the appointment of Modan Saha as an additional director in a non-executive, non-independent capacity. Tata Chemicals noted that Saha is currently leading key strategic initiatives at Tata Sons.

Chandrasekaran, in a letter to the board, wrote: “I am writing to formally inform you of my decision to step down from my position as a director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tata Chemicals Limited with effect from 29th May, 2025. After careful evaluation of my current and future commitments, I have decided to step down from the Board. It has been a privilege to chair the Tata Chemicals board and I sincerely appreciate the support and collaboration during my tenure.”

Methanol Chemicals (Chemanol) has appointed Fares Al Abbad as acting CEO, following the termination of Sabri Abdullah Al Ghamdi’s contract for personal reasons, the company said in a disclosure to Tadawul. Al Abbad has over 27 years of experience in the petrochemical industry and project development, where he assumed senior roles at Sabic and its affiliate Petrokemya, and previously held the position of Vice President of Manufacturing at Chemanol. He will assume the duties of acting Chief Executive Officer until the new CEO officially assumes the position, which is expected to take place in July. He was also part of the team involved in oil-to-petrochemical conversion projects, and holds two patents in the same field. Sabri Al-Ghamdi will now become a non-executive director.