Eight on interview shortlist for HPCL chairman
If you believe the grapevine, HPCL director refineries Shunmugavel Bharathan is the strongest candidate among eight shortlisted to be the next HPCL chairman.
On May 31 (2024), the PESB sent out a shortlist for interviews scheduled on June 14 (2024) between 9.15am and 11am. Pushp Kumar Joshi, the current chairman, retires on August 31 (2024).
First on the shortlist is Bharathan, the only director on the list. He took charge of refineries on October 1 (2022).
Born on May 6 (1968), Bharathan has spent most of his time at HPCL in refinery-related processes and some time in the R&D division. "He is the most senior candidate and is already a director," says a source.
Next on the list is Anuj Jain, executive director of the LPG business. Jain has been at HPCL for 33 years with experience in retail sales, LPG sales and marketing, pipeline projects, and engineering projects.
He is known for his formidable expertise in cross-country pipeline projects, and building LPG bottling plants, marketing terminals, and lube blending plants, not to mention developing tank wagon facilities. Subodh Batra, executive director of industrial and consumer sales, is third.
ED corporate finance K Vinod has also been shortlisted. Vinod has experience in petroleum refinery economics, financial accounting, corporate strategy and planning, international trade - import and export of petroleum products, and marketing aviation and LPG fuels.
In a change of eligibility criteria, candidates from HR backgrounds have not been shortlisted. At a stroke, HR director Kasargod Shetty is out.
Similarly, ONGC director HR Manish Patil also applied but has not been shortlisted. From outside HPCL, IndianOil executive director VC Asokan is on the shortlist.
Asokan serves as state head in Tamil Nadu. He has over three decades of experience in retail sales, operations and international marketing.
Asokan has also spent time at IndianOil subsidiary Lanka IOC and has marketing experience across India. IGL managing director KK Chatiwal is also shortlisted.