The Ministry of Railways has appointed Rahul Himalian, a senior officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) from the 1999 batch, as the additional Chairman and Managing Director of IRCTC effective July 20, 2026. He takes over the reins following the resignation of Sanjay Kumar Jain, who had been serving as CMD since February 2024. Himalian, who will continue to hold his current position as Director (Tourism and Marketing), brings more than 26 years of experience in the Indian Railways and the public sector enterprise.
Who Is Rahul Himalian?
Rahul Himalian is a distinguished officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS), which is one of the Group A central civil services recruited through the Civil Services Examination conducted by the central government. He belongs to the 1999 batch of IRTS officers and has served in various capacities across Indian Railways and IRCTC over the past two and a half decades.
Himalian has been serving as a Whole-Time Functional Director on the Board of IRCTC since February 16, 2024, overseeing key departments including Tourism, Information Technology, Human Resource Development, Infrastructure, Administration, and Rajbhasha.
Academic and Professional Distinctions
Himalian has an outstanding academic record. He was the Head Boy and Best Student at The Lawrence School. He graduated in Electrical Engineering with a Gold Medal from NIT Hamirpur and completed his post-graduation in Engineering from IIT Delhi with a perfect CGPA of 10.00. He was also awarded the President’s Gold Medal for being the Best All-Round Student.
In his new role, Himalian will lead the overall operations and strategic direction of IRCTC while continuing to discharge his responsibilities as Director (Tourism and Marketing).
What Is IRCTC?
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Limited (IRCTC) is a Schedule ‘A’ Navratna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the administrative control of the Ministry of Railways. It was established on September 27, 1999, as a wholly-owned Government of India public sector undertaking.
IRCTC was initially classified as a Miniratna PSU in May 2008 and was later upgraded to Navratna status in March 2025, becoming the 25th Navratna among Central Public Sector Enterprises. The Government of India holds a 62.4% stake in the company.
The corporation is headquartered in New Delhi and is listed on both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) under the ticker symbol IRCTC. It was listed in 2019 through an Initial Public Offering that was oversubscribed by 112 times.
Key Services
IRCTC is best known for providing the exclusive online railway ticketing platform for Indian Railways, processing an average of 7.31 lakh tickets daily. Its services span four main areas:
| Service Area | Key Offerings |
|---|---|
| Ticketing | Online e-ticketing (since 2002), i-tickets, Tatkal bookings, Shubh Yatra loyalty programme, iMudra payment wallet |
| Catering | Onboard catering in trains, food plazas at stations, e-catering, packaged drinking water brand Rail Neer (since 2003) |
| Tourism | Luxury trains including Maharajas’ Express and Deccan Odyssey, package tours for domestic and foreign tourists, hotel and flight booking |
| Train Operations | Operates private Tejas Express trains (New Delhi Lucknow, Ahmedabad Mumbai), Kashi Mahakal Express |
Financial Performance and Status
IRCTC has been one of the best-performing railway PSUs. In FY25, the company reported a net profit of ₹1,315 crore on a revenue of ₹4,675 crore, marking an 18% increase in net profit over the previous year. Its strong financial performance was a key factor in its elevation to Navratna status.
The company has over 66 million registered users as of 2023, making its digital platform one of the most widely used government portals in the country.
Significance of the Appointment
As the head of a Navratna PSU with a market capitalisation of over ₹4,05,000 crore, the CMD of IRCTC holds a position of considerable strategic importance within the railway ecosystem. The appointment of a senior IRTS officer signals the Ministry of Railways’ intent to maintain continuity in the leadership of this commercially critical PSU.
Himalian’s extensive background in tourism and marketing, combined with his technology-oriented academic training, positions him well to steer IRCTC through its next phase of growth. The company’s expanding footprint into private train operations, luxury tourism, and digital services will be key areas of focus under his leadership.
Key Takeaways
- Rahul Himalian, an officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) from the 1999 batch, has been appointed as the additional Chairman and Managing Director of IRCTC effective July 20, 2026.
- He succeeds Sanjay Kumar Jain, who resigned from the CMD post, and will continue to hold charge as Director (Tourism and Marketing).
- IRCTC was established on September 27, 1999, as a wholly-owned government PSU and was upgraded to Navratna status in March 2025.
- The company reported a net profit of ₹1,315 crore on a revenue of ₹4,675 crore in FY25.
- Himalian graduated with a Gold Medal in Electrical Engineering from NIT Hamirpur and completed his M.Tech from IIT Delhi with a perfect CGPA of 10.00. He also received the President’s Gold Medal.
- IRCTC processes an average of 7.31 lakh tickets daily and has over 66 million registered users.
