Who Will Be the Next CMD of Coal India Limited? PESB to Conduct Interviews on September 20

All eyes will be on the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) on September 20, 2025, as it conducts interviews to select the next Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Coal India Limited (CIL) – the world’s largest coal-producing company and one of India’s most strategic PSUs.

The Shortlisted Candidates:

a) Mukesh Choudhary – Director (Marketing), Coal India Limited
b) Indra Dev Narayan – CMD, MECL
c) B. Sairam – CMD, Northern Coalfields Limited
d) Nilendu Kumar Singh – CMD, Central Coalfields Limited
e) Pankaj Kumar Sharma – Director (Production), NALCO
f) Vishwanath Suresh – Director (Commercial), NMDC
g) Vinay Kumar – Director (Commercial), NMDC
h) Anuj Jain – Director (Finance), IOCL
i) Hemant Kumar Das – Executive Director (Projects), PFC Limited
j) Alok Singh – Principal Commissioner of Income Tax, Rajkot
k) Dr. Pudi Hariprakash – Chief Administration Officer, Treasury & Reconciliation, Railways

Who Stands a Strong Chance?

Industry observers suggest that while the competition is tough, the PESB may prefer a candidate with a strong background in coal mining. Insiders point to Nilendu Kumar Singh, CMD of Central Coalfields Limited, as a frontrunner given his decades of hands-on experience in mining operations.

B. Sairam (CMD, Northern Coalfields Limited) – Known to keep a very low profile, which could make it challenging for him to fit the bill for a role that demands high visibility and strong stakeholder engagement.

Mukesh Choudhary (Director, Marketing, CIL) – Brings ample experience in marketing but lacks deep mining exposure. With India pushing hard towards its green energy transition, PESB may prefer a candidate with a solid mining background to steer Coal India through this critical phase.

The Transition Ahead

The current Chairman & Managing Director, PM Prasad, will retire on October 31, 2025, making this selection crucial for ensuring a smooth leadership transition at CIL.

www.indianpsu.com wishes all the candidates the very best and hopes the most deserving leader takes charge of this mammoth coal PSU.