Akhilesh Joshi, the Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Zinc has been honoured with “Business Today Best CEO Award (Core Sector) in a glittering function organized in The Oberoi, Gurgaon on 13th December 2013.

The award was presented to him by Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industries, Shri Anand Sharma. Also present on the stage was Shri Aroon Purie, Editor & Chief of the Business Today Group and gathering included CEOs of some of the top industries in India.

Business Today quoted as “Akhilesh Joshi takes risks, seeks results and has played a stellar role in the success of Hindustan Zinc”.

It was September 18, 1976, when Akhilesh Joshi, a young engineer joined the then PSU Hindustan Zinc as Assistant Engineer and was posted in Balaria mines at Zawar, Udaipur. The history has it today, this BE (Mining) from MBM Engineering College, Jodhpur is the Chief Executive Officer and Whole-time Director of the same company.

Akhilesh Joshi has been the most influential strategist in expanding the mining operations, metal recovery improvement, and bringing transparency in working culture at Hindustan Zinc.

He spent his early days at company’s Zawar mines and then at Rajpura Dariba mines. In the year 1997 Akhilesh Joshi took the charge as Chief of Mining Operations at Rampura Agucha Mine. The mine was raring to go for expansion as the company was expanding in smelting operations. In the year 2003, Akhilesh Joshi was given the responsibility as Head of Rampura Agucha Mine.

Giving highest regard to environment, safety and occupational health of employees, Akhilesh Joshi started the expansion of Rampura Agucha Mine. His approach and subsequent results enhanced his responsibility and he was now looking development of all HZL mines, including six underground mines.

His strategies and approach were also proving useful to mines of group companies like Konkola Copper Mines in Zambia, and Sesa iron ore mine in Goa.

In the year 2006, Government of India recognized his efforts and all the hard work towards systematic exploration, production increase and meeting highest standards of mine safety, by honouring him with the much coveted National Mineral Award-2006.

On 1st October 2008 Akhilesh Joshi took over as Chief Operating Officer and Whole-time Director of Hindustan Zinc, a feat to reckon. His vision & straight forward approach, with a strong determination and judgment ability, helped Hindustan Zinc in scaling-up new heights.

All to his credit and to his vision & contribution, in January 2012, Akhilesh Joshi became the Chief Executive Officer and Whole-time Director of Hindustan Zinc.

Indeed, Akhilesh Joshi continues to take up fresh challenges. He intends to increase the company’s annual ore output to 15 million tonnes in the next five years from the current 10 million tonnes by focusing on underground mining. Hindustan Zinc’s Rampura Agucha mine, now the largest open cast zinc-lead mine in the world, is slowly becoming unviable.

While receiving the Business Today Best CEO Award (Core Sector) Akhilesh Joshi dedicated the award to his mother, Geeta Joshi, who he said has had the greatest influence on him. Her words ‘You will achieve what you think’ is a mantra that he says he has followed through out his career.