The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has chosen B. Sairam, the current Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), as the 30th Chairman of Coal India Limited (CIL). He will assume charge on 1st November, following the retirement of incumbent Chairman P.M. Prasad on 31st October.
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Selection After Rigorous Process
The interviews for the top post organized today, with 11 senior officials from public sector undertakings appearing before the PESB. Among the contenders were Mukesh Choudhary (Director-Marketing, CIL), Nilendu Kumar Singh (CMD, CCL), Indra Dev Narayan (CMD, MECL), Pankaj Kumar Sharma (Director-Production, Nalco), Viswanath Suresh (Director-Commercial, NMDC), and others. After evaluation, the board recommended Sairam’s name to lead the world’s largest coal producer.
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An alumnus of NIT Raipur, Sairam is a mining engineer with more than three decades of experience in the coal industry. Before taking over NCL in March 2024, he served as Director (Technical/Planning & Projects) at Central Coalfields Limited (CCL). He is credited with leading several major operational initiatives and improving production performance at NCL during his tenure.
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Industry Reception and Expectations
Industry experts believe Sairam’s appointment comes at a crucial time when Coal India is tasked with meeting India’s growing power demand while advancing sustainable mining practices. According to reports, worker groups and stakeholders had also favoured his elevation, citing his field experience and people-oriented approach. His leadership is expected to shape CIL’s strategy on production targets, technology adoption, and land acquisition issues in the coming years.
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