NEW DELHI: U S Awasthi, the longest serving CEO of a fertiliser company, who was among the most powerful names in the highly controlled industry, retired as Iffco managing director on Thursday, after an over three-decade stint as MD. K J Patel has been appointed as the new MD of the largest fertiliser cooperative and he took charge on Thursday.Iffco officials said that Awasthi superannuated on Thursday, after attaining the age of 80 years. “He has shaped Iffco’s trajectory, elevating it to unparalleled global prominence,” the fertiliser cooperative said. A chemical engineer from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Awasthi had joined Iffco in Nov 1976, ascending through various pivotal roles before becoming its MD in 1993.Awasthi’s successor, Patel, was director-technical at Iffco and has more than 32 years’ experience in the maintenance of nitrogenous and phosphatic fertiliser plants. He was heading the Iffco Paradeep Plant, the biggest complex fertiliser plant in India.Awasthi was instrumental in forging Iffco’s global footprint, with strategic investments in ICS Senegal, Oman, Jordan, and the UAE. His diversification initiatives led to joint ventures, including IFFCO-Tokio General Insurance Company, a collaboration with Japan’s Tokio Marine Group, the world’s largest insurer.