The Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) has announced that John K Paul has been unanimously elected as its president for 2016-17. John K Paul is the first automobile dealer from Kerala to have been elected as FADA president since its inception in 1964.

Managing one of the largest groups engaged in retail automobile trade in India, John K Paul is the managing director of Popular Vehicles and Services Ltd, Popular Mega Motors (India) and director of Popular Kuttukaran Cars Private Ltd, Popular Auto Dealers, Popular Auto Spares, and Popular Autoworks.

John K Paul, who is currently also the president of the Kerala Automobile Dealers Association, has been actively associated with FADA for the past 6-7 years and was honorary secretary in 2012-13 and 2013-14 and vice-president in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

The election, which was held at the Council Meeting after the 52^nd AGM on September 23 at Kochi, also saw Ashish Kale, Vinkesh Gulati and Saurabh Kedia being elected as vice-president, honorary secretary and honorary treasurer, respectively, for the year 2016-17.

Ashish Kale, 43, is the managing director of Provincial Automobile Co, a reputed dealership of Mahindra & Mahindra in Nagpur. He is also a director of Provincial Automobile Services, Provincial Tractors, Iride Co, and Provincial Trucking. Kale is also president of the Vidarbha Automobile Dealers Association and a managing committee member of Gondwana/CP Club.