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Shri B Sairam takes the helm at Coal India
KOLKATA: Coal India has a new hand on the wheel. B Sairam has taken charge as chairman-cum-managing director of the world’s largest coal miner, effective 15 December 2025, capping more than three decades spent deep inside India’s coal belt.
Sairam moves up from Northern Coalfields Limited, where as cmd he drove large-scale projectisation, steered project financing and tackled regulatory bottlenecks to keep output humming. The brief was tough; delivery was harder. He made it stick.
An alumnus of NIT Raipur and the NTPC School of Business, Delhi, Sairam has clocked senior stints across Central Coalfields Limited, Coal India and NCL. His track record spans mine operations, coal logistics, first mile connectivity, environmental and forest clearances, and community development, a rare, end-to-end view of the coal ecosystem.
At a time when Coal India is under pressure to lift productivity, clean up logistics and execute faster, the appointment signals continuity with bite. Expect fewer excuses, tighter timelines and a sharper push on the ground.