NTPC CMD Hunt: Panel Replaces PESB

The power ministry has decided to form a search-cum-selection committee to find a new Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) for NTPC Limited. This action is being taken because the Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB), responsible for hiring top executives for central public sector enterprises, was unsuccessful in identifying a suitable candidate after interviewing several applicants. The current CMD, Gurdeep Singh, was slated to retire on July 31, 2025. However, to ensure continuity in leadership, his service has been extended until August 1, 2026, in the absence of a successor. The power ministry officially announced this new appointment process on February 28, 2026. Applications for the CMD position are being accepted until March 28, 2026. This search-cum-selection committee approach is typically employed when PESB cannot find an appropriate candidate, a situation also observed for other major enterprises like ONGC, IOC, HPCL, and BPCL since 2021. Notably, Gurdeep Singh himself was appointed to his current role in 2016 through a similar search-cum-selection process.