Ashutosh Jindal is new JS gas pricing
Ashutosh Jindal joined the oil ministry on February 17 as the new joint secretary for the crucial gas pricing and international cooperation departments providing relief to joint secretary (exploration) Upendra Prasad Singh who has been holding additional charge.
Forty-three year old Jindal will oversee domestic gas allocations, meet foreign counterparts and help Indian companies with overseas acquisitions, mergers and LNG imports. “Jindal will also be involved in the upcoming gas pooling policy for the power sector,” says a source.
“He’ll be watched closely as this is the first time India opts for gas pooling.” Jindal will also be under pressure from the PMO to achieve Narendra Modi’s dream of providing piped gas to 10m households in the next 15 years and will be closely following the ambitious if doubtful 90m cm/d TAPI gas pipeline, slated for operation by 2018.
Jindal was appointed to the GAIL board as a government nominee on February 24. He joined the IAS in 1995 from Manipur-Tripura.