Reliance Infrastructure Ltd (RInfra), a part of Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group, has roped in MS Mehta as chief executive officer (CEO) of the company with effect from July 7, 2014, the company said in a press release.
Mehta will take over the role of Lalit Jalan who held this position for more than seven years and would now take over the role of director for corporate strategy and affairs. In his new role, Jalan will steer future growth initiatives and efforts of the group. He joined Reliance Industries Ltd in 1995 and after the division in the group between the Ambani brothers, moved to the younger sibling’s camp.
Mehta joins RInfra from Vedanta Resources where he has been serving as the Group CEO for five years. He joined Vedanta in 2000 and under his leadership, Vedanta implemented several large projects and spread the Vedanta footprint across India and other geographies worldwide.
Early this year he had retired from Vedanta and his position was given to Tom Albanese, former chief of mining giant Rio Tinto.
Before taking the role of CEO at Vedanta, Mehta was CEO of Hindustan Zinc Ltd (HZL), previously a state owned firm and now a subsidiary of the Vedanta Group. Before becoming its CEO he was the commercial director (base metals) responsible for the marketing of copper, aluminum, zinc and lead, procurement of copper concentrate, export and tolling of zinc concentrate and coal procurement for HZL.
Mehta has also worked with Lloyds Steel where he held various senior positions.
He obtained a Mechanical Engineer degree from MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur and an MBA degree from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.
RInfra is engaged in various spheres of infrastructure sector including roads, power, metro rail and cement. The company, along with its wholly-owned subsidiary, generates over 940 MW of power through its five power stations.
(Edited by Joby Puthuparampil Johnson)
