In a rapidly transforming energy ecosystem, Coal India Limited—the world’s largest coal-producing company—is undergoing a strategic metamorphosis. At the heart of this transformation is Dr. Vinay Ranjan, Director (HR), whose leadership has redefined human resource practices in one of India’s most complex and legacy-bound public sector undertakings. From aligning workforce capability with business vision to driving large-scale digital HR reforms and contributing to national HR capability programs like Mission Karmayogi, Dr. Ranjan’s journey is a masterclass in strategic HR leadership.
In this exclusive interaction with Dr. Sunil Singh, Editor-in-Chief at HR TODAY, Dr. Ranjan reflects on the challenges, innovations, and future of HR in India’s public, private and social sectors. The conversation delves into his approach to organizational transformation, national HR thought leadership, and his vision for the next generation of HR professionals. The dialogue that follows offers rare insights into how HR can become not just a business partner—but a nation builder.
A. HR & Organizational Transformation
Coal India is undergoing a major transformation to meet evolving energy demands. What has been your HR vision to align talent and capability with this transformation?
As Director (HR), my vision has been to make HR a strategic enabler of business transformation. We’ve focused on capability enhancement, workforce rejuvenation, and embedding a future-ready mindset across the organization. Through focus on large-scale upskilling & reskilling initiatives, digital literacy programs, and building succession pipeline to tackle huge retirements, we’ve aligned our human capital to Coal India’s energy transition goals. Notably, our people-centric reforms have also contributed to Coal India being recognized among the ‘Great Places to Work’, a testament to the inclusive and high-trust culture we’re cultivating amidst transformation.
You’ve led large-scale workforce transitions in a public sector environment. What are some of the key challenges in driving organizational transformation in a legacy-heavy industry like mining?
Legacy systems often bring inertia, and change management can be slow when there is deep institutional memory. The challenge lies in preserving institutional knowledge while fostering a culture of innovation and adaptability. We’ve addressed this by investing in employee engagement, transparent communication, balancing respect for the past with readiness for the future. We are also investing on upgrading our old and obsolete infrastructure to keep up with our business needs.
How have you leveraged technology and digital HR systems to modernize HR operations at Coal India, especially across such a vast and geographically distributed workforce?
Technology has enabled us to unify and standardize HR operations across our subsidiaries. We’ve implemented an integrated HRMS, digitized recruitment and learning systems, and introduced real-time dashboards for workforce analytics. These measures have improved decision-making, enhanced
transparency, and allowed for greater responsiveness to employee needs, especially important in an organization with such scale and diversity.
What specific people practices or policies introduced under your leadership do you believe have had the most transformative impact on Coal India’s human capital strategy?
Key transformative practices include performance-linked career progression, digitally driven learning platforms, and a structured young talent induction program. We’ve also focused on creating pleasant employee experience, employee welfare, health initiatives, and leadership development frameworks. These changes have helped drive a more motivated and future- focused workforce.
How do you approach balancing industrial relations with business transformation, especially when dealing with large unionized workforces?
Industrial harmony is a strategic imperative in a unionized ecosystem like ours. At Coal India Limited (CIL), we believe a structured, participative model of industrial relations that ensures alignment between transformation goals and workforce interests
Key institutional mechanisms such as the Apex Joint Consultative Committee (Apex JCC), the Joint Bipartite Committee for the Coal Industry (JBCCI), and various Standardization Committees serve as vital platforms for dialogue and consensus-building. These forums allow for continuous engagement with trade unions on policy changes, productivity enhancement, welfare initiatives, and modernization efforts.
By involving union representatives at the conceptual and planning stages of business transformation, we foster a sense of joint ownership and mutual respect. This inclusive and consultative framework has enabled us to drive critical reforms while maintaining workforce trust, minimizing resistance, and preserving industrial peace.
B. Contribution to National HR Ecosystem
You’ve played a pivotal role beyond Coal India as a thought leader in India’s public sector HR landscape. What national-level initiatives or forums have you been part of to uplift the HR profession?
As Director (HR), Coal India Limited, I have consistently believed that HR in the public sector must transcend organizational boundaries and contribute to nation-building. With this conviction, I’ve had the opportunity to actively engage with several national-level platforms and initiatives aimed at strengthening the HR ecosystem across India’s public sector landscape.
One of the most significant contributions has been my involvement in the design and conceptualization of the DAKSH program under the Capacity Building Commission, as part of the Government of India’s Mission Karmayogi initiative. This program aims to shift the focus of public sector capacity building from rule- based to role-based learning. As a domain expert, I was involved in crafting competency frameworks, identifying core behavioral and functional competencies, and designing learning pathways tailored to the unique challenges of the public sector workforce.
This engagement allowed me to bring in cross-sectoral insights, field-level experience, and strategic HR perspectives that helped shape DAKSH into a robust, future-ready platform—not just for Coal India, but for PSUs at large.
In addition, I’ve actively participated in high-level HR forums and working groups convened by SCOPE (Standing Conference of Public Enterprises), contributing to policy-level discussions on workforce transformation, leadership development, and digital HR practices. These platforms serve as valuable spaces to share best practices and collectively strengthen the public sector HR fraternity.
I have been participating and contributing to platforms such as the National HRD Network (NHRDN), the National Institute of Personnel Management (NIPM), Indian Society for Training and Development (ISTD) and the International Federation of Training and Development Organizations (IFTDO) and several other platforms. These bodies offer critical space for cross-sectoral dialogue, global benchmarking, and capability building, reinforcing HR’s role as a strategic lever for performance and transformation.
How do you see the role of HR in India’s PSU and Private sector evolving over the next decade, especially in the context of Atmanirbhar Bharat and global competitiveness?
Over the next decade, HR in both the public and private sectors will play a transformative role as India accelerates toward the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and enhanced global competitiveness.
In Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), HR will shift from a traditional administrative function to a strategic partner in nation-building. The focus will increasingly be on talent modernization, skill development, leadership pipeline creation, and cultural transformation to support innovation, sustainability, and agility. With initiatives like the National Skill Development Mission and Make in India, PSU HR leaders will be tasked with aligning workforce capabilities to emerging technologies, digitalization, and green transitions. In the private sector, HR is set to become even more data-driven, agile, and innovation-focused. With increasing integration into global value chains, the emphasis will be on diversity and inclusion, employee experience, digital HR ecosystems, and continuous learning. As Indian companies expand globally and compete with multinational players, HR will act as the custodian of both local values and global best practices.
What advice would you give to young HR professionals aspiring to drive large-scale impact in traditional industries and public sector undertakings?
First, develop a deep understanding of the business and workforce realities. Respect the heritage of traditional industries, but also challenge the status quo with new ideas. Equip yourself with technology, data literacy, and a passion for people. Above all, an HR professional should continuously focus on bettering the ‘employee experience’.
“The role of HR is to drive strategic outcomes. To do this, HR professionals must deeply understand the business and proactively influence its future—not merely respond to change.”
C. Vision for HR Professionals in India
What, according to you, are the three most critical capabilities that the next generation of HR leaders in India must develop to remain future-ready?
Strategic thinking – understanding the business and aligning people solutions accordingly.
Tech-savviness – from HR analytics to AI-based tools.
Empathy and cultural intelligence – especially vital in India’s diverse socio- economic landscape.
I also think that the young generation should not be afraid to fail. This will help them to take bold decisions and prep them up for future leadership roles.
Recalling a quote from a Management Guru where it says that:
“You don’t build business; you build people and then people build business.’’
Do you believe Indian HR professionals are adequately prepared to lead digital, ESG, and DEI-led transformations in their organizations? What gaps still need addressing?
While the awareness is growing, capability gaps remain—particularly in areas like ESG compliance integration, DEI implementation beyond urban centers, and using AI responsibly in HR. We need structured reskilling, better industry- academia collaboration, and stronger leadership alignment to close these gaps and future-proof the HR profession.
As someone who has mentored HR talent across hierarchies, what leadership behaviors do you look for in future CHROs or public sector HR leaders?
I look for a blend of integrity, curiosity, resilience, and collaborative leadership. Leaders must be able to listen deeply, navigate complexity, and drive systemic change while staying rooted in values. The ability to balance empathy with business acumen is what sets great HR leaders apart.
Looking ahead, what is your vision for the Indian HR community at large— especially in terms of policy advocacy, capability building, and cross-sectoral collaboration?
I envision a unified, future-ready HR community that transcends sectors. We must create platforms for collaborative learning, policy influence, and shared innovation. Capability building must focus on new-age areas like behavioral economics, sustainability, and digital ethics. As a community, HR professionals should work together to shape inclusive policies, foster entrepreneurship, and become enablers of India’s socio-economic goals.
To cater to the new types of workforce in our economy, in terms of policy advocacy, HR leaders must increasingly contribute to shaping labor reforms, workforce formalization, social security, and inclusion frameworks that align with India’s demographic dividend. We need to be active participants in policy conversations—not just implementers, but influencers.
When it comes to capability building, I believe the HR fraternity must embrace continuous learning, invest in digital and behavioral competencies, and create leadership pipelines equipped for uncertainty and complexity. This is especially
crucial in PSUs and traditional sectors where transformation must be led from within.
Cross-sectoral collaboration is the need of the hour. Public and private HR leaders, academia, government, and start-ups must come together to co-create solutions for shared challenges—be it employability, mental health, sustainability, or technology disruption. By fostering such alliances, we can ensure that HR in India doesn’t just keep pace with change but actively drives it.
Ultimately, I see the Indian HR community not just as a support system but as a catalyst—mobilizing talent, shaping culture, and powering India’s inclusive growth story.
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