Ashish Chatterjee new head of Chennai Metro Rail

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has appointed Ashish Chatterjee as the new Managing Director of Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL). Chatterjee, a 1999-batch TN cadre IAS officer, has returned to the state after serving on central deputation.

He had served as additional secretary and financial adviser in the Union Ministry of Steel before being repatriated to TN. 

During his career in TN, he was district collector of Villupuram, Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur, and has also worked in urban development and city governance in the Chennai Corporation. His appointment comes as CMRL is advancing the ambitious phase II Metro project, involving major corridors across Chennai and its suburbs.

The new MD will be responsible for steering ongoing construction, coordinating large-scale infrastructure works and strengthening Metro services as the network expands. MA Siddique, outgoing MD, worked during a period of rapid project development when he took charge in June 2022.

Siddique has taken over as additional chief secretary in the Finance Department after TVK formed the government.