Dilip Oommen to retire as CEO of ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India; Amit Harlalka appointed new chief

ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India (AM/NS India) announced that Dilip Oommen will retire as CEO on June 30, after 22 years with the company, including its previous identity as Essar Steel. He will, however, remain a Board member of AM/NS India and Vice-Chairman of ArcelorMittal India Private Limited.

Amit Harlalka, currently the Chief Financial Officer of AM/NS India, has been appointed as the new CEO, effective from July 1.

Aditya Mittal, Chairman of AM/NS India and Chief Executive of ArcelorMittal, said Oommen is a highly experienced steel industry executive, knew the operations inside-out, brought stability at a time of change, and played a critical role in helping establish trust for ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel brand in India. “We were lucky to have him,” he said. 

“It has been an honour to serve as ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel India’s first CEO,” said Oommen, adding that he never imagined the company would achieve so much in just over six years. He also expressed his confidence in Harlalka’s leadership.

Mittal also praised Harlalka as a trusted senior executive with strong operational knowledge and involvement in growth plans, including those related to steel and renewables. 

Harlalka joined AM/NS India in December 2019 as Deputy Director, Finance, before becoming CFO in January 2023.

Before joining AM/NS India, Harlalka worked at ArcelorMittal in various locations, including Mexico as CFO, Zenica as Finance and Project Controller, and Luxembourg as Financial Controller. He began his career at Hindustan Unilever. He is a chartered accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and holds an MBA in finance from the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore. He has also been appointed a member of the ArcelorMittal Group Management Committee.

Calling it a privilege, Harlalka said, “The potential of the company is enormous, and I will be focusing on ensuring we can meet all this potential, starting with our aspiration to be accident free.”