Industrialist and Director of NORKA Roots Dr M Anirudhan passed away on Thursday. He was also the founding president of FOKANA (Federation of Kerala Associations in North America), a leading Malayali organisation in North America. A native of Oachira in Kollam, Dr Anirudhan played a key role in forming FOKANA in 1983.

In recognition of his contributions to nutritional research, food production, and the welfare of non-resident Indians, Dr Anirudhan was honoured with the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman. He was a member of the Loka Kerala Sabha since its inception and played a leadership role in coordinating support for Kerala during the Covid-19 pandemic and the floods.

He served as a consultant for numerous food production companies and was a member of the Food Label Regulatory Committee of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The National Food Processors Association in the US had honoured him with an award for excellence in Research and Development.

Dr Anirudhan completed his post-graduate degree from SN College, Kollam, and moved to the United States in 1973 to pursue research in chemistry. He initially taught nuclear chemistry at Texas A&M University, but later shifted to the field of nutrition, earning a PhD in that discipline as well.

He headed the research division of Sandoz, one of the world’s largest nutrition manufacturers, for 10 years, and was instrumental in developing child nutrition products. He later launched his own industrial ventures. Anirudhan was also part of the team that developed Iso Star, a sports nutrition product for Sandoz. He is survived by his wife, Nisha, and sons, Dr Anoop and Arun.