The Golf Industry Association is the apex body dedicated to the promotion, development, and standardization of the golf industry in India. By bringing together course developers, administrators, technical experts, and equipment manufacturers, the GIA works collaboratively to advance the sport’s infrastructure, environmental sustainability, and professional education across the region.
Siva Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of Irrigation Products International (IPI), has been officially elected to the Board of the Golf Industry Association (GIA) for the upcoming term. He joins the newly formed board led by incoming President Declan McCollam (Northland), alongside newly appointed board members George Menomparampil (Managing Director, Zion Hills Golf County), Arun Iyer (MAA Ticket and My Golf Tours), K. K. Dubay (Innovative Sports), Inderjit Balotia (The Royal Calcutta Golf Club), and Aashish Vaishnava (AV Golf).
Siva’s appointment brings extensive technical expertise to the GIA leadership. His golf industry career commenced prior to the inaugural Indian Golf Expo at Eagleton under Late Shri. Ravi Garyali, founder of Irrigation Products International Pvt Ltd (IPI). Siva has developed a comprehensive understanding of golf course agronomy, automated irrigation architectures, and specialized turf management systems. His operational background provides the board with deep insight into maintaining international playing surfaces and the needed resources.
Siva’s appointment also marks the continuation of a long-standing industry legacy. For over three decades, the late Ravi Garyali, founder of IPI, championed the philosophy that the ultimate trajectory of the game in India would be determined by the formal education of its Turf management professionals. Following Mr. Garyali’s passing in December 2025, the responsibility of advancing this educational mandate within IPI transitioned to Siva.
With his election to the GIA, Siva is poised to carry this baton forward to the association level. By elevating this mission from a corporate initiative to a central objective of the GIA, he aims to collaborate with fellow board members to establish the institutional, industry-wide educational pathways that late Ravi Garyali long envisioned.
A primary objective for Siva and the new GIA board will be the institutionalization of greenkeeping and turf management education. Recognizing that golf course quality is inextricably linked to professional agronomic expertise, the GIA would try to bridge the gap between rapid course development and the availability of qualified personnel. Because establishing standardized professional development pathways requires a collective industry framework, the GIA will prioritize strategic partnerships with national and international golfing bodies to build a scalable educational ecosystem.
Through this collaborative approach, the GIA intends to establish formal benchmarks that elevate Indian turf professionals and superintendents to global standards, ensuring the long-term economic and environmental viability of the sport in India.