Ashok Kumar Panda on Saturday assumed charge as chairman and managing director of state-owned Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), succeeding Amarendu Prakash, whose tenure ended on April 1, 2026, according to PTI. Prior to taking over as CMD, Panda was serving as Director (Finance) at SAIL, as per a company statement.
Career Journey at SAIL
Panda joined SAIL in 1992 as a Management Trainee (Technical) after completing his BE in Electrical Engineering. With over three decades at the company, he has held multiple operational, financial, and commercial roles across various plants and units of SAIL.
Strategic Contributions
The company highlighted that Panda played a key role in several strategic initiatives during his tenure as Director (Finance), aimed at improving operational efficiency and profitability. After assuming charge, Panda outlined SAIL's growth trajectory.
Vision for Growth
Panda stated that SAIL is preparing for its next phase of growth and capacity expansion. “SAIL is on track for its next phase of capacity expansion to 35 MTPA. Alongside expansion, we will continue to place the highest priority on safety across all our workplaces,” Panda said, as quoted by PTI.
He added, “Strengthening raw material security through enhanced domestic mining and exploration of overseas assets will be critical to support our growth ambitions. At the same time, we are committed to expanding our market reach with a sharper focus on value-added products, strengthening our brand connect and ensuring sustained value creation for all stakeholders.”
Company Profile
SAIL, under the Ministry of Steel, is India’s largest public sector steel manufacturing company with an installed capacity of over 20 million tonnes per annum. The company continues to play a pivotal role in the nation's industrial development.
