Ashutosh Dwivedi set to be next CMD, NCL: Sources

New Delhi: Ashutosh Dwivedi is set to be appointed as the next Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL), the Singrauli-based subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), two separate sources aware of the development told PSU Watch on the condition of anonymity. His appointment is scheduled to be announced on July 8 and will be subject to clearances and the approval of the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC), PSU Watch has learnt from reliable sources.

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PSU Watch had earlier reported that PESB had completed the preliminary process and had shortlisted 12 candidates for interviews scheduled on June 18. However, Dwivedi’s name was not among the candidates shortlisted for the June 18 interview. Curiously, on the intervening night between June 17 and 18, the interview got cancelled. On June 29, another shortlist of candidates was released in which two new candidates were added — Dwivedi and Rajeev Kumar Sinha, Director (Technical), CMPDIL.

Post vacant since December 2025

The CMD’s post at NCL has been lying vacant since December 16, 2025, when the then NCL chief B Sairam moved to Coal India Limited as its Chairman-cum-Managing Director. Sairam has been holding additional charge of the NCL top job in the interim.

PESB had advertised the position in February 2026, seeking applications by March 13, 2026.

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Who is Ashutosh Dwivedi?

Dwivedi took charge as Director (Technical) of NCL after the ACC approved his appointment in September 2025. He was recommended for that post by the PESB panel on May 28, 2025, from a list of 12 candidates. Prior to this, he served as Executive Director at Coal India Limited.

NCL: The ‘energy capital’ powerhouse

Headquartered in Singrauli, Madhya Pradesh, NCL is a Miniratna company and a wholly owned subsidiary of CIL. It is a Schedule ‘B’ CPSE under the Ministry of Coal. Established in 1985, the company operates 10 highly mechanised mega opencast mines in the Moher Sub-Basin of the Singrauli Coalfield, spread across parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.

NCL produced 140.5 million tonnes (MT) of coal in FY26, registering a growth of 1.08 percent over the previous year, and dispatched a record 137.08 MT to consumers. Around 86 percent of the total dispatch, 117.85 MT, went to coal-based power plants, including major consumers such as NTPC Vindhyachal. Among individual projects, Jayant recorded the highest production at 30 MT, followed by Dudhichua and Nigahi at 25 MT each.

The new CMD will be tasked with steering the company’s production growth at a time when domestic coal continues to serve as the backbone of India’s power sector.

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