The President of India has approved the appointment of rail vikas nigam director Vivek Kumar Gupta to its Board of Directors with immediate effect. The Ministry of Railways, Government of India, issued Order No. 2022/PL/57/10 dated December 1, 2023, confirming Gupta’s role as a Part-time (Official) Government Nominee Director. This appointment strengthens the company’s governance structure by adding senior railway leadership to its board.

Gupta, who currently serves as Principal Executive Director/Gati Shakti at the Railway Board, will hold this position till he continues in his current post or until further orders are received, whichever is earlier. The Ministry of Railways communicated this decision via email on December 4, 2023, which Rail Vikas Nigam Limited disclosed to stock exchanges pursuant to Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015.

Appointment Details

The following table outlines the key details of the new board appointment:

The order was signed by Tribhuvan Misra, Director/PSU, Department of Public Enterprises, Ministry of Finance. Copies of the order were also sent to the Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises; the Secretary, Appointments Committee of the Cabinet; and various officials within the Ministry of Railways and the Registrar of Companies, Delhi & Haryana.

Regulatory Compliance

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited stated that it is taking necessary action to complete the appointment formalities in compliance with the Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI LODR Regulations. Requisite disclosures regarding the completion of these formalities will be submitted in due course. Kalpana Dubey, Company Secretary & Compliance Officer, signed the disclosure letter sent to the National Stock Exchange of India Ltd. and BSE Ltd. on December 4, 2023.

Rail Vikas Nigam Limited ( rail vikas nigam ) has appointed Vivek Kumar Gupta as an Additional Director on its Board, effective December 12, 2023. The Board of Directors approved the appointment in accordance with the Companies Act, 2013, designating Gupta as a Part-time (Official) Government Nominee Director. This addition strengthens the company’s governance structure with senior regulatory expertise from the Railway Board.

The appointment follows an earlier announcement made to stock exchanges on December 4, 2023. In compliance with SEBI Circular No. LIST/COMP/14/2018-19 dated June 20, 2018, RVNL confirmed that Gupta is not debarred from holding office by any SEBI order or other authority. He also confirmed he holds no equity shares in the company and is not related to any existing Director or Key Managerial Personnel (KMP).

Gupta serves as Principal Executive Director/Gati Shakti at the Railway Board. An Indian Railways Service of Engineers (IRSE) officer, he holds a B-Tech from GB Pant University of Technology and an M-Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. His profile highlights over 33 years of multifarious experience in core civil engineering, including track construction, bridge maintenance, and infrastructure planning.

His career includes significant roles in consultancy works for Metro corridors and quality audits for under-construction metros in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, and Jaipur while working with RITES. He also managed the execution of the Amravati–Narkher new line project. His expertise spans personnel management, contract finalization, disaster management, and organizational leadership, having previously headed the engineering department for a large railway division covering approximately 1,000 route kilometers.

Updated Board Composition

The updated list of directors includes seven part-time officials and non-officials alongside the executive management team. The current board composition is detailed below:

Governance Implications

The inclusion of a senior Railway Board official as a government nominee director aligns with standard practices for public sector undertakings in the railway infrastructure space. It ensures direct oversight from the parent ministry’s technical leadership, potentially streamlining decision-making processes for large-scale railway projects executed by RVNL. The appointment does not alter the existing executive management structure led by Chairman & Managing Director Pradeep Gaur.