The government headhunter, Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB), has recommended B Sairam, current Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) of Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL), as the next Chairman of coal giant Coal India Limited (CIL).

The new Coal India CMD is expected to tackle operational challenges, including increasing coal production and improving evacuation, as the government pushes to boost domestic output and reduce reliance on coal imports. NCL is a subsidiary of CIL.

PESB confirmed the recommendation on its website, noting that Sairam was selected following interviews with ten other candidates, including the CMDs of Mineral Exploration and Consultancy Ltd (MECL) and Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL), another CIL arm.

The current CIL Chairman, P M Prasad, is set to retire on 31st October, with the final appointment to follow formal approval procedures.

With over 34 years of experience in the coal sector, Sairam has held key roles such as Director (Technical) at CCL and Executive Director at Coal India. He brings extensive expertise in mine planning and expansion, operations, sustainable mining, logistics, digitisation, and regulatory affairs.

Coal India, which accounts for more than 80 per cent of domestic coal output, is targeting a production of 875 million tonnes in 2025-26, with a dispatch target of 900 million tonnes to meet rising energy demands. This reflects substantial growth from the 781.07 million tonnes produced in 2024-25, as the company implements strategies to increase dispatch from its mines.