FOKANA founding president Dr. M Anirudhan passes away

CHICAGO: Dr. M. Anirudhan, a prominent businessman and the founding president of the Federation of Kerala Associations in North America (FOKANA), has passed away. He served as FOKANA president three times and was a former president of the Chicago Malayalee Association. He also served as a director on the board of NORKA (Non-Resident Keralites Affairs). He is survived by his wife Nisha, a native of Cherthala, and two sons—Dr. Anoop and Arun. Arun is a partner in the family business.

A native of Ochira, Anirudhan earned his master’s degree from SN College, Kollam. In 1973, he moved to the United States to pursue research in chemistry. While working as a professor of nuclear chemistry at Texas A&M University, he transitioned into the field of nutrition and later earned a Ph.D. in that subject as well. He went on to become the head of research at Sandoz, one of the world’s largest nutritional product companies, where he worked for ten years. He spent several years researching nutritional supplements for children and later established his own business ventures. Anirudhan was also part of the team that developed Iso-Star, the first sports nutrition product in the U.S. for Sandoz.

Dr. Anirudhan was a recipient of the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award. In 1983, with the help of then-ambassador K.R. Narayanan, he played a key role in founding FOKANA, uniting the Malayalee community in North America. He remained in leadership for nearly two decades.

He also served as a consultant for numerous food production companies and was a member of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Label Regulatory Committee. The National Food Processors Association of the U.S. honoured him with the award for Best R&D Scientist.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan expressed deep condolences over Dr. Anirudhan’s passing, calling him the “unofficial ambassador of Malayalees in America.” The Chief Minister noted that Anirudhan consistently held leadership roles in Malayalee organisations in the U.S. and was instrumental in making FOKANA an internationally recognised platform for the diaspora.

Dr. Anirudhan had been a member of the Loka Kerala Sabha since its inception. The Chief Minister recalled his generous contributions during both the Kerala floods and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Chief Minister also noted that he had personally met Dr. Anirudhan during his recent visit to the U.S. for medical checkups and inquired about his health. "I express my heartfelt condolences on his sudden demise and join the grief of his family and the global Malayalee community," he said.

FOKANA President Dr. Sajimon Antony, General Secretary Sreekumar Unnithan, Treasurer Joy Chakkappan, and former president Dr. Babu Stephen also expressed their condolences on Dr. Anirudhan’s passing.