Bhubaneswar, September 18
The Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) under the Union Ministry of Personnel and Training has selected Brajendra Pratap Singh to be the new Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the National Aluminium Company Limited (NALCO).
It is revealed from the minutes of the PESB Meeting No 70/2024 that after interviewing as many as six applicants, it was decided to select Singh to be the new CMD of NALCO.
Other five applicants who faced PESB interview for this post of the Schedule-A CPSU, NALCO were Suresh Chandra Suman, Director (Mining and Director (Planning and Projects), NIc India Limited; Vippagunta Rama Manohar Rao, Director (Finance), Railtel Corporation India Limited; Jagdish Arora, Director (Project & Technical) & Director (HR), NALCO; Ashok Kumar Panda, Executive Director Finance & Accounts, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) and Alok Singh, IRS, Principal Commissioner of Income Tax – 1, Rajkot.
Brajesh Pratap Singh who is now the Director-in-Charge of two units of SAIL – Durgapur and Burnpur Steel Plants is set to take over from Sridhar Patra at the end of his term on 31st October, 2024.
Speaking to PBD, Singh said he looks forward to joining this leading aluminium CPSU which has carved out a niche for itself in the world’s white metal arena.
Singh, a B.Tech in Mining Machinery from Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad joined SAIL at Iron Ore Mine of Bhilai Steel Plant in 1989.
With a rich experience spanning over 32 years, he has diverse experience ranging from Mines, Blast Furnace, Sinter Plant & Maintenance and overall Plant operation from execution to leading from front.
He was instrumental in ramping up production from Modernisation facilities like Blast Furnace-8, Universal Rail Mill and Bar & Rod Mill at Bhilai Steel Plant.
At Bokaro Steel Plant, he introduced a 3 tier Inspection & Maintenance system and successfully executed Converter Shell changing in a record time in SMS-2.
Singh was promoted as Executive Director (Operation) in October, 2019 at Bhilai Steel Plant and subsequently re-designated as Executive Director (Works).
During the COVID pandemic period, he successfully steered the operation at Bhilai Steel Plant, maintaining the production, despite the restricted conditions. He took over the charge of Executive Director (Works), Durgapur Steel Plant in September, 2020. At Durgapur Steel Plant, he successfully implemented Converter Shell Changing of all the 3 Converters at SMS in record time. Ramping up of production from MSM was also achieved under his leadership.
Sources in SAIL said Singh was instrumental in achieving 100% Hot Metal Production, 101% Crude Steel Production, 101% Saleable Steel Production, best ever export of Saleable Steel, etc. in FY-2020-21 during the COVID pandemic period and maintained the profitability of the Durgapur Steel Plant during FY-2020-21despite the challenges posed by the pandemic.
Continuing the trend of excellence in performance, under his able leadership, Durgapur Steel Plant has achieved the best ever production in Crude Steel, Sinter production, total Caster Steel production, BRC production, Production from Merchant Mill &Medium Structural Mill and Finished Steel production during FY 2021-22.
