Shri P.L. Haranadh took over the post of Chairman, PPA today. He is an Indian Railway Traffic Service Officer of 1994 batch. He hails from Andhra Pradesh. He studied MSc & Ph.D from Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Pusa, New Delhi. During his 27 years of service, he worked in Indian Railways for 22 years and 5 years in Ministry of Shipping. Under the leadership of Shri Haranadh, PPA expects to reach new heights in terms of Cargo Handling. Soon after his joining while interacting with the media, he emphasized on making PPA the No.1 Major Port in the country during his upcoming tenure. He solicited sincere cooperation from all the stakeholders like employees, Unions, Customers, Port users, Stevedores, Steamer Agent, Unions, Govt .Machinery etc. for realising the Mission No.1. He stressed on prioritising completion of various upcoming projects at PPA, including the much ambitious Western Dock project at the earliest.
In his illustrious career in the Railways, Shri Haranadh worked as Sr.Divisional Operations Manager, Raipur Division and Chakradharpur Division. Dy. Chief Operations Manager of South Eastern Railway & South Central Railway and Chief Operations Manager (Marketing), East Coast Railway. Before joining PPA, he was working as Chief Freight Transportation Manager of East Coast Railway. He has rich experience in rail transportation, especially in freight operations, business development and traffic planning.
In recognition of many meritorious works, he received National Award for outstanding management in 2002 and in 2005 from Ministry of Railways.
He also worked as Deputy Chairman of Visakhapatnam Port from 2015-2020. He was instrumental in developing innovative marketing solutions like total logistics solutions to customers to attract cargoes like coal, containers etc. During his tenure, he contributed to overall growth of Visakhapatnam Port and the Port scaled up to 3rd position among major Ports.

Shri T. Venu Gopal, former Secretary of Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA), assumed charge as the Deputy Chairman of Paradip Port Authority (PPA) on Monday i.e on 17.11.2025.

Shri Gopal began his career at Visakhapatnam Port in 1995 as Assistant Personnel Officer (Class-I) and went on to serve in multiple key roles across several departments. In 2019, he was posted as Secretary, Deendayal (Kandla) Port Authority. Prior to this, he was In-Charge Secretary at Visakhapatnam Port Authority from 2014 to 2018. In 2020, he was transferred back to Visakhapatnam Port Authority as Secretary. He also discharged additional responsibilities as Traffic Manager (TM) and Chief Medical Officer (CMO), contributing to improved operational performance.

During his tenure as Secretary at VPA, Shri Gopal played a pivotal role in planning and executing several notable initiatives and events, including:

Major events such as BIMSTEC, Indian Maritime Conclaves, the inauguration of the International Cruise Terminal, and the handling of international cruise vessels were held during his tenure.

He was instrumental in securing first place in Swachhata and Safety initiatives and in creating a healthy and productive ecosystem with all stakeholders. He has been a member of various committees constituted by Indian Ports Association (IPA) and the Ministry of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways.

Shri R. N. Abanikant Parida, IRPS (2011) (Date of Birth: 15.04.1982), assumed charge as Chief Vigilance Officer on 03.12.2025. He is an officer of the Indian Railway Personnel Service (IRPS), 2011 batch.

A native of Jagatsinghpur District, Odisha, Shri Parida holds a B.Sc. in Nautical Science from T. S. Chanakya, University of Mumbai. He began his professional career as a Merchant Navy Officer, gaining valuable exposure to marine and shipping operations.

With an overall professional experience of 18 years, Shri Parida has served 04 years in the Merchant Navy and about 14 years in the Indian Railways under the Ministry of Railways. His diverse background provides him with a unique blend of operational, administrative, and human resource expertise.

During his distinguished career in the Indian Railways, Shri Parida has worked in various capacities across Khurda Road, Sambalpur, and Visakhapatnam (earlier Waltair) Divisions. He has extensive experience in Human Resource Management, Disciplinary Proceedings, and Vigilance-related matters, in addition to specialized expertise in Marine Operations, particularly shipping movements.

Prior to his present assignment, Shri Parida was serving as Senior Divisional Personnel Officer, Khurda Division, East Coast Railway. He is widely regarded for his sound knowledge of disciplinary and conduct rules and is frequently invited by Government and PSU organizations as a Guest Faculty to impart training on Disciplinary Proceedings.

Shri Parida is known for his professionalism, integrity, and commitment to institutional strengthening through transparency and adherence to rules.

Shri Ashoka Kumar Sahu has assumed charge as Financial Adviser & Chief Accounts Officer (FA&CAO) of Paradip Port Authority on 07th August 2025.

Shri Sahu began his professional journey in 2005 with Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) as a Junior Accounts Officer. He later joined Paradip Port Authority, where he held key positions as Accounts Officer Grade-I and Senior Accounts Officer between 2005 and 2016.

In 2016, he was promoted to the post of Senior Deputy Chief Accounts Officer and served at New Mangalore Port Authority until 2019. He was subsequently posted in the same capacity at Paradip Port Authority from 2019 to 2021. In 2021, he was elevated to the position of FA&CAO at V.O. Chidambaranar Port Authority, where he contributed significantly until his current posting.

An accomplished finance professional, Shri Sahu is a Fellow Member of the Institute of Cost Accountants of India and holds a Master’s degree in Commerce from Utkal University. He brings with him over 20 years of rich experience in the Energy and Port sectors, with expertise in Financial Planning, Budgeting, Cost Control, and Project Finance.

Shri Krishna Bapi Raju G has assumed charge as Secretary, Paradip Port Authority (PPA), bringing with him over three decades of rich experience in legal and administrative roles across major public sector organisations, particularly in India’s port sector.

An advocate enrolled in September 1995 in the State of Andhra Pradesh, he practiced law for eight years before joining public service. In 2003, he was appointed as Legal Officer at the Visakhapatnam Urban Development Authority (VUDA). He later joined Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) as Law Officer on February 27, 2009, where his professional competence led to his elevation as Senior Law Officer.

In 2017, Shri Bapi Raju was promoted as Deputy Chief Law Officer at Paradip Port Authority. During this period, he was also entrusted with additional charge at VPA, making him the only officer in the Major Port sector in the said cadre to serve two ports simultaneously. Later upon his promotion as Senior Deputy Secretary, he was transferred to New Mangalore Port

Capt. A.C. Sahoo has joined PPA as Pilot on 05.10.2005 and promoted to the post of Harbour Master on 10.07.2018. Confirmed as Deputy Conservator, Paradip Port Authority on 26.10.2021.
He graduated from Utkal University in Physics in the year 1991. Joined Shipping Corporation of India in 1993 as Trainee Nautical Watch Keeping Officer. Cleared his Masters Foreign Going Vessels in 2002. He continued sailing in Indian and Foreign Flag Ships till 2005 before joining Paradip Port Authoroty as Marine Pilot.

Sri Susil Chandra Nahak is a Mechanical Engineer served about 31 years of service out of which more than 3 years as part time lecturer in State Govt. Textile Engineering college and worked as senior engineer in IMFA group of company and about 27 years in Major Port of India in different capacities. He has got wide experience in teaching mechanical engineering O&M of earth moving equipment, O&M of mechanical utility equipment, port mechanical as well as electrical systems, infrastructure development, maintenance engineering and project execution. His career reflects consistent growth and leadership in the department of Electrical & Mechanical in Port operations.

He studied B. Tech in Mechanical Engineering from College of Engineering & Technology, Bhubaneswar – 1994 batch under OUAT university. He joined Paradip Port Authority (PPA) as Assistant Engineer (Mech.) on 14/09/1998. Meanwhile, he got promoted & posted as Dy. Chief Mechanical Engineer at Deendayal Port Authority (erstwhile KPA)) in 2019. There he again got promoted to the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer in 2023. During his tenure as CME, DPA, he visited Spain to attend Factory Acceptance Test of Marine Gangway prior to installation at Deendayal Port.

Currently serving Chief Mechanical Engineer at Paradip Port Authority, Sri Nahak is responsible for planning, execution & monitoring of Electrical & Mechanical works and contracts, maintenance & efficiency improvement of port handling equipment, modernization of Port machinery and infrastructure, technical guidance to the divisions under Electrical and Mechanical Department, and ensuring compliance with safety, efficiency & sustainability standards. Besides his assignment as CME,PPA he has been entrusted the responsibility of Working President of Officers’ Club, PPA and as President of Paradip Golf Club, Paradip.