ONGC chairman's term extended by one year amid US pressure on Russian oil
This extension comes at a crucial time when India faces increasing pressure from the United States to scale back its imports of Russian oil.
- Dec 3, 2025,
- Updated Dec 3, 2025 5:09 PM IST
The Centre on Wednesday extended the term of Arun Kumar Singh, Chairman of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), for an additional one year, effective December 7, 2025. The terms and conditions of his re-employment will be finalised by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in consultation with the Department of Public Enterprises, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said in a notification.
ONGC is India's leading oil and gas producer. This extension comes at a crucial time when India faces increasing pressure from the United States to scale back its imports of Russian oil.
In August this year, weeks after US President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on Russian oil, Singh stated that ONGC would continue to buy Russian oil as long as it remained commercially viable for India. "There is no bar or sanction on Russian oil as of now. Unless our government decides otherwise - which is not the case at present," Singh had said.
Singh took the helm as ONGC chairman in December 2022. Prior to this role, he served as the chairman of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), one of India's largest oil refining and marketing companies. His tenure at BPCL spanned several key roles, including Director (Marketing) from October 2018 to September 2021, and Chairman and Managing Director from October 2021 until his retirement in October 2022.
With nearly 38 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, Singh has played a key role in steering large business units within BPCL, including retail, LPG, pipelines, and supply chain optimisation. He has also served as President (Africa & Australasia) at Bharat PetroResources Ltd, a BPCL subsidiary focused on overseas exploration.
The Centre on Wednesday extended the term of Arun Kumar Singh, Chairman of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), for an additional one year, effective December 7, 2025. The terms and conditions of his re-employment will be finalised by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in consultation with the Department of Public Enterprises, the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet said in a notification.
ONGC is India's leading oil and gas producer. This extension comes at a crucial time when India faces increasing pressure from the United States to scale back its imports of Russian oil.
In August this year, weeks after US President Donald Trump's 25% tariffs on Russian oil, Singh stated that ONGC would continue to buy Russian oil as long as it remained commercially viable for India. "There is no bar or sanction on Russian oil as of now. Unless our government decides otherwise - which is not the case at present," Singh had said.
Singh took the helm as ONGC chairman in December 2022. Prior to this role, he served as the chairman of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), one of India's largest oil refining and marketing companies. His tenure at BPCL spanned several key roles, including Director (Marketing) from October 2018 to September 2021, and Chairman and Managing Director from October 2021 until his retirement in October 2022.
With nearly 38 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, Singh has played a key role in steering large business units within BPCL, including retail, LPG, pipelines, and supply chain optimisation. He has also served as President (Africa & Australasia) at Bharat PetroResources Ltd, a BPCL subsidiary focused on overseas exploration.