Mysore/Mysuru:  P. Ananth assumed charge as the new General Manager of South Western Railway (SWR) on Apr.9.

An Officer of the 1989 batch of the Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers (IRSME), Ananth holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and brings with him rich and varied experience spanning over three decades in Indian Railways.

He has served extensively in the South Eastern Railway and has held several important assignments, including Director (Manpower Planning) in the Railway Board from 2002 to 2008. He also served as Chief Mechanical Engineer at Banaras Locomotive Works (BLW) from 2012 to 2017, where he played a key role in production and modernisation activities.

From 2017, he was associated with the Centre for Railway Information Systems (CRIS), New Delhi, as General Manager (Coach Maintenance Management System), where he was instrumental in the development and deployment of mission-critical application software supporting various operational functions across Indian Railways.

Later, Ananth served as Divisional Railway Manager, Madurai Division, Southern Railway, from Aug. 2021 to Oct. 2023, leading several key initiatives in operational efficiency and passenger service improvement.

Prior to assuming charge as General Manager, Ananth was serving as Additional General Manager, SWR since Oct.13, 2025. He succeeds Mukul Saran Mathur, consequent upon his retirement.