NTPC CMD Race Heats Up: 18 Shortlisted as Tata Power's Dipesh Nanda Joins Contenders
Eighteen candidates have been shortlisted to succeed NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh, whose decade-long tenure ends July 31. Tata Power MD Dipesh Nanda's inclusion signals rare private sector interest in the public utility's top job.
New Delhi: The succession race at India's largest state-run power utility NTPC Limited has entered its final stretch, with 18 candidates shortlisted to succeed long-serving Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh. The shortlist is a diverse blend of public and private sector talent. It includes 11 Executive Directors from energy majors such as NTPC, Indian Oil Corporation, GAIL, Power Grid Corporation of India, and Power Finance Corporation. Three sitting Directors from NTPC, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Limited, and IOCL are also in the running. The most striking inclusion, however, is Tata Power Managing Director Dipesh Nanda — a signal of strong private sector appetite for one of India's most strategically important public sector posts. The selection process is being handled through the Search-cum-Selection Committee route, a mechanism invoked after the Public Enterprise Selection Board failed to find a suitable candidate during interviews held in May 2025. NTPC's CMD vacancy formally arises on August 1, 2026, when Gurdeep Singh's extended, decade-long innings at the utility draws to a close on July 31. The Ministry of Power had opened applications for the post between February 28 and March 28 this year.
