Race for ONGC top post narrows as seven candidates face final interviews

The search for the next Chairman and Managing Director of state-run energy giant Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has entered its decisive phase, with seven shortlisted candidates set to appear before a high-level search-cum-selection panel for a second round of interviews this week, as per a PTI report.

The process moves forward as the government seeks a successor to current CMD Arun Kumar Singh.

The shortlist follows an initial screening on August 18, during which 18 applicants were evaluated before being trimmed to seven. Among the prominent contenders is Oil India Ltd (OIL) Chairman and Managing Director Ranjit Rath, who is widely seen as a frontrunner.

Rath, 54, is making his second attempt at the top position at ONGC after being shortlisted last year, when the government ultimately chose to grant an extension to Singh. Rath has headed Oil India, India's second-largest state-run oil and gas explorer, since August 2022.

The remaining candidates on the shortlist comprise a slate of senior public sector executives:

• Rajarshi Gupta (59), Managing Director, ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) 
• Vikram Saxena, Director (Technology and Field Services), ONGC 
• Satyam Kumar, Director (Strategy and Corporate Affairs), ONGC 
• Dulal Halder, Director (Operations), OVL 
• Devendra Kumar, Director (Finance), Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd (MRPL) 
• An executive from Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) 

The ongoing selection process has drawn significant attention due to key modifications in the eligibility criteria. The government introduced a one-off relaxation in the upper age limit, extending it to 59 years. This marks a departure from the standard 58-year limit for external candidates, following similar age relaxations granted in 2022 for state-run power producer NTPC and ONGC itself.

Additionally, the government issued an addendum modifying the educational qualification requirements. Applicants are now required to be first-class graduates holding degrees in engineering, chartered accountancy, or cost accountancy, or postgraduates/graduates with a full-time MBA or PGDIM from a recognized premier institution.

The current exercise follows a turbulent leadership timeline at ONGC. The energy major operated without a full-time chief between April 2021 and December 2022, managed by three interim chairmen before Singh was appointed.

Singh’s selection in 2022 also relied on relaxed eligibility norms. The search committee selected him in August 2022, when he was under four months shy of turning 60. He formally assumed charge in December 2022 after retiring as the chairman and managing director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL).