Dr. Nikhil Rao Shelar took helm as Chief Human Resources Officer at Maa Kudargarhi Group, a diversified organization with an established presence in steel, bauxite mining, and agriculture & agro products. Maa Kudargarhi Group continues to focus on operational excellence, sustainable growth, and building a high-performing workforce to achieve long-term strategic objectives.
Dr. Shelar brings over 15 years of extensive HR leadership experience across multiple industries and geographies. Before joining Maa Kudargarhi Group, he led corporate HR operations at ABIS Exports India Private Limited. IB Group, drove organizational HR strategy at ACT INFRAPORT LIMITED across India, Dubai & Singapore, managed large-scale HR and OD initiatives at Godawari Power and Ispat Ltd (GPIL), and spearheaded HR transformation as Chief Human Capital Officer at AlMansoori Specialized Engineering LLC. He also contributed to the Adani Group in corporate and plant-level HR leadership, and gained early experience in HR operations and employee engagement through trainee roles at Magma HDI General Insurance Company Limited and Essar.
His academic and professional credentials underscore his strategic HR expertise. Dr. Shelar holds a PhD in Human Resources Development from Rai University, a Strategic Human Resource Leadership certification from Cornell University, the CXO Programme from XLRI Jamshedpur, and an Associate’s degree in Organizational Leadership from Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad. He also earned an MBA (HR & Finance) and a Post Graduate Diploma in HR Management from Dr. C. V. Raman University, Kota Bilaspur, and a B.Com. from Guru Ghasidas University. His education, combined with hands-on leadership, empowers him to drive succession planning, talent management, workforce transformation, and organizational excellence.
With this appointment, Dr. Shelar is set to strengthen Maa Kudargarhi Group’s talent strategy, enhance organizational capability, and cultivate a future-ready workforce to support the group’s growth ambitions across its business verticals and geographies. His leadership promises innovation, high performance, and sustainable success for the organization.

