New Delhi: Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) has released the brief profiles of Ms. Sarita Chauhan and Vinod Kumar Tripathi, who have been appointed as Government Nominee Directors on the company’s Board by the Ministry of Steel.
The appointments were communicated earlier on October 13, 2026, following an order issued by the Ministry of Steel on October 12, 2026. Both appointments took effect immediately and will remain in force until further orders.
The two directors bring extensive experience in public administration, financial management, engineering, public policy and project management, strengthening the Board’s access to government and technical expertise.
Sarita Chauhan Appointed as Government Nominee Director
Ms. Sarita Chauhan is currently serving as Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor in the Ministry of Steel. She is a 1999-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer belonging to the AGMUT cadre and has more than 27 years of experience across State and Central Government assignments.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering and has handled several administrative and policy-related portfolios during her career.
Her professional experience includes work in the following areas:
- Personnel administration and administrative reforms.
- E-governance and public administration.
- Education, labour and industrial development.
- Power and urban development.
- District administration and governance.
Ms. Chauhan has also served as District Magistrate and Deputy Commissioner of Kathua in Jammu and Kashmir. In addition, she serves as a Government Director on the Board of NMDC Steel Limited.
Her experience in financial administration, government policy and district-level governance is expected to bring valuable administrative and financial expertise to SAIL’s Board.
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Vinod Kumar Tripathi Appointed as Government Nominee Director
Vinod Kumar Tripathi is currently serving as Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Steel. He belongs to the 1995 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRSE) and holds a degree in Civil Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee.
He has undergone advanced management and professional development programmes at several reputed institutions, including:
- National Academy of Indian Railways (NAIR), Baroda.
- INSEAD, Singapore.
- Iclif Leadership and Governance Centre, Kuala Lumpur.
- Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad, where he received training in Strategic Management.
Tripathi brings diverse experience in administration, public policy, project management, engineering, operations, procurement and human resource management. His professional background also includes experience in public sector enterprise management and strategic decision-making.
His technical qualifications and management experience are expected to contribute to the Board’s oversight of SAIL’s operations, projects and organisational priorities.
Key Details of SAIL’s New Government Nominee Directors
The key details of the two appointments are as follows:
- Sarita Chauhan: Additional Secretary and Financial Advisor, Ministry of Steel; 1999-batch IAS officer from the AGMUT cadre; bachelor’s degree in Textile Engineering.
- Vinod Kumar Tripathi: Joint Secretary, Ministry of Steel; 1995-batch IRSE officer; Civil Engineering graduate from IIT Roorkee.
- Appointing authority: Ministry of Steel, Government of India.
- Appointment date: October 12, 2026.
- Tenure: With immediate effect until further orders.
SAIL has also stated that neither of the two newly appointed Government Nominee Directors is related to any other director of the company.
Significance of the Appointments
The appointments bring senior government officials with complementary administrative, financial and technical backgrounds to SAIL’s Board.
Ms. Chauhan’s experience in financial oversight and public administration, along with Tripathi’s expertise in engineering, project management and public sector operations, provides a combination of policy and operational knowledge.
As Government Nominee Directors, they will serve on the Board in accordance with their appointments by the Ministry of Steel. Their inclusion adds to the government’s representation in the governance structure of the public sector steel producer.
About Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) is one of India’s largest steel-making companies and a public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Steel, Government of India. The company produces a wide range of steel products for infrastructure, construction, engineering, railways and other industrial sectors. SAIL operates integrated steel plants and plays an important role in supporting India’s domestic steel production and industrial development.
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