P.M. Prasad is the Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India Limited (CIL), the world’s largest coal mining company and a Maharatna public sector enterprise. He earned his undergraduate degree in Mining Engineering from Osmania University and later pursued his M.Tech in Open-cast Mining from the Indian School of Mines (IIT-ISM), Dhanbad. In 1988, he acquired his first-class mines manager certificate, demonstrating his technical expertise in coal mining operations.

Prasad began his career with Coal India Limited in 1984 as a management trainee at Western Coalfields Limited. He has systematically risen through the ranks, holding various roles across different subsidiaries of Coal India, honing his expertise in mining operations and management. During his tenure at Western Coalfields Limited, Prasad played an instrumental role in reopening the DRC mines in 1994-95, which had been affected by underground fire. This significant achievement earned him recognition as the ‘Best Mines Manager’ from the Secretary of Coal, Ministry of Coal, and the Chairman of Coal India Limited in 1995.

From May 2015 to 2018, Prasad served as Executive Director (Coal Mining) at NTPC (National Thermal Power Corporation), where he gained valuable experience in power sector coal operations. This three-year stint at NTPC broadened his understanding of the coal supply chain and its critical role in India’s energy security. Prasad leads a workforce of hundreds of thousands of employees across multiple subsidiaries, ensuring India’s energy security through consistent coal supply to power plants, steel mills, and other industrial consumers.  Under his leadership, CIL achieved a record production of 175.5 million tonnes in Q1 FY 2024, demonstrating his capability to drive significant growth even in challenging conditions. Indiaspora is proud to have PM Prasad on our Business Leaders 2.0 List.