Tapan Kumar Chand, an Indian mining veteran, has been Chairman and Managing Director of National Aluminium Co. Ltd. (Nalco) since July 27, 2015. He served Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Ltd from September 22, 2010 to July 27, 2015 as Director (Commercial). Mr Chand holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and a Master’s Degree in Arts in Public Administration from Utkal University, Cuttack. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Andhra University, Visakhapatnam and a Diploma in Social Welfare (labour welfare) from University of Calcutta.
His contribution for the growth of Nalco is immense, after joining Nalco in 2015, he had asked his team to renegotiate contracts with the objective of reducing procurement costs by 20 per cent saving Nalco nearly Rs100 crore. He is trying to convince the board to include mining in its vision plan. He also announced investments of $10 billion to be made for a number of projects, including a Greenfield Aluminium Smelter abroad.
He had worked for various segments of the company and had pioneered initiatives during his tenure at Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, Vishakhapatnam, which had changed the way the firm worked. Some of his initiatives included introduction of a productive work culture, organizational restructuring etc in the field of HR. In 1983 he had joined as a management trainee in Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited, eventually becoming its director in 2010.
In 2007, he joined as the Director (P) of Central Coalfield Limited where his focus remained in the field of HR and brought a paradigm shift. His efforts and initiatives in the areas of corporate social responsibility and welfare earned the company a good name and the membership of UN Global Compact. Exercising his powers as a functional director, he decided all important matters of sales and marking like eauction, forward e-auction, road sales, sales realization, coal linkage through LOA, etc.
Nalco’s CSR projects under him have focused on infrastructure development, healthcare, sanitation, drinking water, education, environmental sustainability, sports, art and culture, community care, livelihood etc. Nalco has all along been committed towards social causes and earmarks 2 per cent or more of its profit before tax for CSR activities. In fact, its commitment towards the marginalized section of the society, has led the organisation to create a dedicated CSR wing in the form of ‘Nalco Foundation’. The Aluminium Major has gone beyond the mandated 2 per cent of profits clause, in its efforts to reach out to the underprivileged section of the society.
There are many success stories which speak volumes of Nalco’s CSR initiatives. It has been doing substantial work in carrying out impactful CSR projects which has been benefiting thousands of people for many years now. The company has come to represent a better quality of life for communities residing in the vicinity of its plants and facilities, for which it has won a number of prestigious awards at national and regional platforms. Truly, “Goodness is the only investment that will never fail” for Nalco.
Mr. Chand won the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for outstanding performance as an executive for his initiatives and efforts to improve the organisation. He was also given J Mathai National Fellowship Award –the Highest Management Award.
