Last Updated:
Five critical departments — Operating, Commercial, Security, Finance, and Medical — are simultaneously being led by women officers at Secunderabad Zone.
These women lead 5 key departments at South Central Railways.
South Central Railway (SCR), one of the prominent zones of Indian Railways, has achieved a remarkable milestone with women now leading five major departments under the Secunderabad Zone — a first in the zone’s history.
The five senior women officers heading these departments are: K Padmaja, a 1991-batch IRTS officer, serving as Principal Chief Operations Manager, overseeing train movement, scheduling, and traffic operations; Iti Pandey, a 1998-batch IRTS officer, recently appointed as Principal Chief Commercial Manager, in charge of ticketing, reservations, station management, freight operations, and revenue growth; Aromasingh Thakur, a 1993-batch IRPFS officer, who took charge as IG-cum-Principal Chief Security Commissioner in July 2023, managing railway security, passenger safety, crime prevention, and emergency response; Nirmala Narasimhan, a 1989-batch IRHS officer, serving as Principal Chief Medical Director since December 2024, responsible for eight major hospitals and 40 health units across the zone; and Hema Sunitha, a 1993-batch IRAS officer, who assumed charge as Principal Financial Advisor in April 2025. Under her financial leadership, SCR recorded Rs 8,081 crore in revenue up to July for the fiscal year 2025–26.
Recommended Stories
“This is the first time in the history of the zone that five critical departments — Operating, Commercial, Security, Finance, and Medical — are simultaneously being led by women officers, marking a strong step toward gender-inclusive leadership in Indian Railways,” said Chief Public Relations Officer Sridhar.
Established in 1966 and headquartered in Secunderabad, South Central Railway spans the states of Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, and Madhya Pradesh. It plays a vital role in both passenger and freight transport and continues to be one of the top revenue-generating zones in the Indian Railways network.
Loading comments…
Read More


