Excerpts from “Ruth Heredia (2001), The Tree Grows: Taking on the Giants, in The Amul India Story – Rural Renaissance Through Milk Coops, Tata McGraw-Hill, New Delhi, p 148."   

Manubhai pushed and helped to expand, modernise and professionalise the Amul Dairy in Anand, Gujarat on an international scale and design. There were many different ways in which he urged and persuaded Mr Kurien to expand Amul. Here is the fascinating history narrated by Ruth Heredia in her book about how dynamic and ingenious Manubhai Shah was in his functioning as Industry Minister; some of the anecdotes are highly amusing and interesting.

As Ruth says in her book, for example on Page 148: “Manubhai had met Kurien years before 1956, and he was on excellent terms with him", and hence was able to work closely with Kurien to expand, modernise and professionalise Amul. There were many hurdles to be crossed and as Ruth states, "true to his promise, the Minister intervened to get the license [to manufacture baby food and cheese in addition to condensed milk and other dairy products already in the pipeline]. Manubhai went about any of his work as a man with a mission and it is astonishing how he had the time, energy and drive simultaneously to make outstanding contributions in a vast array of fields.”

Description of Manubhai's crucial role in expansion of Amul can be found throughout the book, but specifically see Chapters "The Tree Grows: Taking on the Giants", "Gloves Off", "Fruitful Collaboration", and "Anand Pattern", pp 148-190.