Pipeline tensions cloud IndianOil dir. race
A tentative shortlist of 12 candidates for the IndianOil director pipelines position is under active review amid tensions about the future of the state-owned refiner's pipelines division.
"The list is yet to be officially released by the PESB," says a source. Among the shortlisted candidates, Shailesh Tiwari, the ED of northern region pipelines, is considered a frontrunner.
That’s because of his seniority and previous experience heading the southern region, where he managed nationwide operations. Another strong contender is Manish Botke, ED projects in the pipelines head office.
Botke previously led the western region, IndianOil's largest and most logistically complex pipeline network. Amit Dasgupta, ED operations, also in the pipelines head office, is likewise a notable candidate.
Dasgupta previously headed the eastern region and brings in-depth knowledge of regional coordination and operational execution. "The remaining candidates from IndianOil have limited pipelines experience," adds our source.
Others likely to be shortlisted from IndianOil are Satya Prakash, ED of the Barauni refinery; Rahul Prashant, ED of the Assam oil refinery at Digboi; Umish Srivastava, ED technology, planning and forecasting; and Mukesh Mohan, ED of HSE. Among the likely external candidates are two CGMs from Hindustan Petroleum: Manoj Kumar Maharana and KSL Satyanarayana.
Two more potential candidates are EDs from GAIL: Atul Kumar Tripathi and Kapil Kumar Jain. And finally, a GGM at Engineers India will likely make the shortlist: Sanjay Kumar Singh.
Any new director pipelines will be appointed during a sensitive time for IndianOil's pipelines division, which is facing a union backlash over restructuring plans. In December 2024, IndianOil hired Bain & Company for a Rs32cr ($3.8m) consultancy to oversee a restructuring programme.
"That was a façade," adds our source. "The restructuring is primarily focused on the pipelines division."
Inside IndianOil, there's ongoing discussion about transforming the pipelines division into a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) initially wholly owned by IndianOil, but which could later see future equity dilution and/or private investment through infrastructure investment trusts or other financial vehicles.