New Delhi, March 28 Government recruitment agency PESB has recommended Ashok Kumar Panda, Director (Finance) of SAIL, for the top position at India's largest public sector steel-making entity.
Panda was among the 10 shortlisted candidates interviewed for the post of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) at Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL).
The top position will become vacant after the term of the current CMD, Amarendu Prakash, ends on April 2, 2026. Prakash assumed the role of SAIL Chairman on May 31, 2023.
In a notification dated March 28, the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) stated that it has recommended Ashok Kumar Panda for the position of CMD of SAIL. Panda currently holds the position of Director, Finance, in the company.
The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is the final authority approving appointments to top-level positions at central PSUs.
Along with Panda, several other senior SAIL employees appeared before the PESB for the interview.
Manish Raj Gupta, Director Mining at SAIL, Alok Verma, Director in Charge of SAIL's Rourkela Steel Plant, Bipin Kumar Giri, ED Mines Development, and Anish Sengupta ED Projects were also interviewed for the position.
Besides, Krishna Gopal Agarwal, Director Finance at Rites, Anup Kumar Satpathy of South East Central Railway, Pui Hari Prasad, and Chetan Prakash Jain were also interviewed.
PESB invited applications for the SAIL CMD post in the first week of February.
Panda is an experienced finance professional with over three decades of experience in accounting, costing & budgeting, Annual Business Planning, Project Commercial Activities, Treasury Operations, superannuation trusts, Taxation, and Strategic Management.
He began his career with SAIL as a Management Trainee after completing his B.E. in Electrical Engineering.