Smt. Soma Mondal has assumed the position of Chairman, SAIL w.e.f. 1st January, 2021. Smt. Soma Mondal has the distinction of not only being the first woman Functional Director of SAIL, but she is also the first woman Chairman of the Company.
A graduate in Electrical Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, in 1984, she has over 35 years of experience in the metal industry. She commenced her career as a Graduate Engineer Trainee at NALCO and rose through the ranks to take over the mantle of Director (Commercial) at NALCO in the year 2014.
She joined SAIL in March, 2017 as Director (Commercial). At SAIL, she spearheaded the implementation of the marketing strategies emerging from the Comprehensive Turnaround Roadmap for the Company since 2017, which witnessed SAIL increasing its sales and expanding the market reach progressively year on year. SAIL achieved best ever sales volume consecutively for the three Financial Years from 2017-18 to 2019-20, and the momentum is still continuing in the current financial year of 2020-21, despite the challenges posed by COVID-19. Promoting the branding efforts of the various products of the Company, she was instrumental in the launch of new brands viz. “NEX” and “SAIL SeQR” to promote PF Structural Sections and TMT Bars respectively.
Sensing the need for improving sales through the retail channels, she has made relentless effort to set up two-tier distribution network. To educate and tap the vast potential of rural India, the “Gaon Ki Ore” workshops were organised in almost all the States and Union Territories across the Country.
For meeting the evolving expectations of the challenging domestic market, Smt. Soma Mondal has introduced timely reforms in the Marketing Organisation Structure of SAIL. For better management and marketing of the enhanced volumes after the modernization & expansion of SAIL, she created three verticals viz. Sales, Marketing and Services. This was envisaged to bring in focus and effective micro management in the marketing operations. She is a member of the CII-National Committee on Steel and Chairperson of the CII sub-committee on ‘Safeguard for Tariff and Non-Tariff Barrier”.