Rath: 'Succession plan in place for Oil India'
Oil India chairman Ranjit Rath has confirmed the company has a succession plan amid talk that he is keen on becoming the next ONGC chairman.
Rath is said to be a top contender for the ONGC position, for which PESB interviews are likely in September 2025 - before ONGC chairman Arun Singh retires on December 7 (2025). Rath took charge at Oil India on August 2 (2022) and is meant to remain in the role until August 2027.
"Succession is in place," said Rath, replying to a question from this report at a Media Connect event in Guwahati on June 2 (2025). "We have identified future leaders."
He philosophically added that the organisation's future is essential, and "individuals are less important." Rath revealed he favours aggressive exploration with plans to drill deeper to 5500 metres TD for up to 90 wells a year against new production benchmarks.
He explained that he addressed succession planning and creating future leaders on his two-day visit to the Duliajan field HQ on May 31 and June 1 (2025). Succession planning at Oil India includes over 150 hours of online training available for technical executives.
According to Rath, another programme, Aarohan, will train executives "beyond just domain knowledge." Rath steered clear of questions about whether he wants the ONGC chairman role.
However, middle-level executives believe he has the best chance of replacing Arun Singh. "But we hear there's resistance from senior contenders at ONGC who worry about their own chances of securing the top post," says a source.
Some say Rath needs another role to fill the five-year gap when his Oil India term ends in 2027 and when he officially retires in 2032. "He will still have more years of service left," says a source.
"If he doesn't get the bigger (ONGC chairman) role, he's at a dead end." On the bright side, Rath is well-liked by his political masters - both in the oil ministry and in government at large.
Under Rath, the company has forged ahead by adding ultra-deepwater blocks to its portfolio and an aggressive focus on exploration.