The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has selected Dr Hemant Sharad Pande, Functional Director Personnel, Western Coalfields Limited (WCL), for the post of Chairman & Managing Director, Western Coalfields Limited (WCL) at a meeting held on February 13, 2026. He was selected among 12 short-listed candidates.

He had served as Area General Manager of Raigarh Area, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a key subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL). With over three decades of extensive experience in coal mining operations, he has been at the forefront of managing both large-scale opencast and underground coal mining projects across various CIL subsidiaries.

Dr Pande embarked on his professional journey with Coal India Limited in 1989 as a Mining Engineer after graduating in Mining Engineering from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT), Nagpur. Over the years, he has accumulated 19 years of service in WCL and 16 years in SECL, contributing significantly to the coal sector. He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Technology (M.Tech) in Mining and has enriched his expertise through various international training programs. Notably, he attended the Advanced Global Techno-Management training at ESCP, one of Europe’s top business schools, and visited France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and the Netherlands. Additionally, he was part of the Indian delegation at the Prospectors and Developers Association (PDAC) conference in Toronto, Canada, participating in crucial global business discussions. He has also obtained a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Management, further strengthening his strategic and leadership capabilities in the mining sector.

A visionary leader, Dr. Pande has vast expertise in diverse coal mining technologies, land acquisition, and industrial relations. From September 2008, he was posted in South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), where he held various positions across Chirimiri, Hasdeo, Gevra, Johilla, and Raigarh Areas.

As General Manager (Project) at Gevra, home to India’s largest open-cast coal mine, Dr. Pande played a pivotal role in modernizing operations at this crucial mining hub. Gevra, known for its massive coal reserves and high production capacity, is one of the most significant contributors to India's energy sector. During his tenure, he led the commissioning of the in-pit crushing system with SILO dispatch, an initiative that significantly improved operational efficiency and reduced environmental impact. Additionally, he championed IT-driven innovations to enhance transparency and efficiency in coal dispatch mechanisms, setting new industry benchmarks.