FUTURE FORWARD

Here are those who missed out as they have not yet completed a year in office; they'll be strong contenders in 2024

- SURABHI, ASHISH RUKHAIYAR & AAKANKSHA CHATURVEDI

The Transporter

JAYA VARMA SINHA 60, Chairperson and CEO, Railway Board

AS THE FIRST woman Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer of the Railway Board, Jaya Varma Sinha, 60, has literally stormed a till now male-dominated bastion. But this is nothing new for her. She was also the first woman to be appointed as the Principal Chief Operations Manager of South Eastern Railway.

Sinha, an Indian Railway Traffic Service official, has vast experience in various verticals such as operations, commercial, IT and vigilance in her nearly 35-year career, and she is held in high esteem by her peers and in industry circles.

Given her exceptional track record, Sinha, who was due to retire in September 2023, has been given a one-year extension. Under her leadership, the Railways, which logged a record revenue of ₹2.4 lakh crore in 2022-23, is seen to have exceeded ₹1.5 lakh crore by November-end this year. However, maintaining this robust growth in revenue is a challenge.

She has been working round the clock on various initiatives, including the modernisation of rail infrastructure, roll-out of more Vande Bharat trains as well as pushing up freight revenues that had been languishing in recent years. Completing the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) initiative as well as the bullet train project are also top priorities for the Railways, under Sinha, as it tries to upgrade its infrastructure and get future ready.

However, managing one of the largest railway networks in the world is not easy. Safety concerns have long marred the national transporter's reputation, and they've come back into the spotlight because of recent mishaps. For Sinha, improving the Indian Railways' track record on this front will be a key priority and an achievement. - BY SURABHI