SECL Commissions First All-Women-Run Central Store Unit in Korba

By: WE staff | Monday, 6 October 2025

• SECL, a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), opened its first all-women operated Central Store Unit in the Central Workshop, Korba
• The project is aimed at encouraging women leadership in core industry segments

South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited (CIL), commissioned its first all-women-run Central Store Unit at the Central Workshop in Korba as a move to foster women's leadership in core industrial fields.

The project, as part of the Government of India's Special Campaign 5.0, is a follow-up to SECL's previous initiative to set up Coal India's first-ever all-women-run dispensary at Bilaspur and depicts the company's consistent dedication to the "Nari Shakti se Rashtra Shakti" mission.

The Central Store Unit, in charge of spare part supply and inventory control, is operated by a group of eight women officers and employees headed by Sapna Ikka, Senior Manager (E&M) and IIT (ISM) Dhanbad alumnus.

The center employs a state-of-the-art SAP-based computer platform to support smooth and transparent management of records.

Inauguration function started with a ritual lamp-lighting ceremony, which was followed by ribbon-cutting by SECL Chairman-cum-Managing Director Harish Duhan.

The function was graced by the presence of N. Franklin Jaykumar, Director (Technical/Operations); Biranchi Das, Director (HR); R.C. Mahapatra, Director (Technical/Planning & Projects); and Himanshu Jain, Chief Vigilance Officer, SECL. Excellence-awarded women employees of the workshop were honored in the function.

Harish emphasized the initiative as a step in inclusive growth in Coal India. He added that, after the success of the women-run dispensary at Bilaspur, the setting up of a women-run operational unit at Korba strengthens the vision of Union Minister of Coal G. Kishan Reddy to have more women participation and leadership in the coal industry.

The opening of this women-only Central Store Unit is a milestone towards gender-inclusive and self-reliant industrial operations on the part of Coal India, consistent with the ethos of Atmanirbhar Bharat.