New Delhi: B Sairam, currently Chairman & Managing Director of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), has been recommended as the next Chairman of Coal India Limited (CIL) by the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB). He will succeed PM Prasad, who is due to retire on November 1, 2025.
Sairam was chosen from a list of 11 candidates interviewed by the PESB selection panel, which included executives from Coal India, MECL, CCL, NALCO, NMDC, Indian Oil, PFC and Indian Railways.
A graduate mining engineer from NIT Raipur, Sairam brings over 33 years of experience in the coal sector. He holds a 15-month full-time residential PGDM in Energy Management from NTPC School of Business, Delhi, which included a 15-day immersion program at Nanyang Business School, Singapore.
Before his current role at NCL, Sairam served as Director (Technical) at Central Coalfields Limited, overseeing mine operations, logistics, and project development, including initiatives such as the Tori-Shivpur Line expansion and First Mile Connectivity projects. He has also led community development efforts and aligned Coal India’s sustainability initiatives with UN sustainability goals during his tenure as Executive Director at CIL.
At NCL, Sairam has been CMD since March 2024, managing operations across mine planning, logistics, regulatory affairs, and greenfield and brownfield project development.
BI Bureau
