Government head-hunter PESB has recommended Ashok Kumar Panda, Director (Finance) of SAIL, for the top post 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 post will fall vacant after the term of the present CMD, Amarendu Prakash, ends on April 2, 2026. Prakash assumed the charge of SAIL Chairman on May 31, 2023.
2 March 2026
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In a notification dated March 28, the Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) said it has recommended Ashok Kumar Panda for the post of CMD SAIL. Panda currently holds the post 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 post.
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 a seasoned 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 started his career with SAIL as a Management Trainee after completing his B.E. in Electrical Engineering.
