Suspense over ONGC dir. i/v
Nine candidates appeared for interviews to choose ONGC’s first-ever director for strategy and corporate affairs on June 22 (2024).
However, the oil ministry-appointed search committee did not announce its recommendation at the end of the interviews as the PESB usually does. "Usually, the search committee makes its recommendation after two or three days," says a candidate who was interviewed.
"In this case, the recommendation is expected to be made in a few days to the oil ministry, which will then forward it for the chain of approvals and finally to the ACC (cabinet) for final approval." When appointed, the selected candidate can stay in the role for five years or until retirement.
Four IndianOil candidates were interviewed: ED marketing Sanjay Parashar; Suman Kumar, ED and head of E&P; Saurav Mitra, ED and in-charge of internal audit; and CGM strategy Nitin Kumar. Three ONGC candidates were also interviewed: Ajay Ratan, ED and head of joint ventures operations group; Vinod Kumar Chaudhury, ED and chief information officer; and Arunangshu Sarkar, a GGM.
Also interviewed were Snigdho Majumdar, ED from Engineers India; and Sachchidanand Yadav, ED from GAIL. Usually, the PESB interviews candidates to become directors at state-owned companies.
Some say the PESB was bypassed as ONGC chairman Arun Singh wants someone from outside the company. Rumours say ONGC executive director Ajay Ratan is the search committee’s choice, but this couldn’t be confirmed.
ONGC chairman Singh and PESB chairwoman Mallika Srinivasan were on the search committee headed by oil secretary Pankaj Jain. Applications for the director strategy and corporate affairs role were received by February 5 (2024) after the oil ministry advertised it on January 4 (2024).