Ranjit Rath Applies for ONGC Top Job Amidst Relaxed Age Criteria
By ThePip Desk
Oil India Chairman Ranjit Rath is a top contender for the ONGC leadership role, following relaxed government age eligibility criteria. Other key candidates include Rajarshi Gupta.
Oil India Ltd chairman and managing director Ranjit Rath has applied for the top leadership position at the state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corp (ONGC). This move comes as the government has eased eligibility criteria, notably the maximum age limit, for the crucial chairman and managing director role.
Rath, currently 54, is making his second consecutive bid for the ONGC top job. He previously made the shortlist, but the incumbent, Arun Kumar Singh, received a one-year extension.
Key Applicants for ONGC’s Top Role
Among the prominent applicants is Rajarshi Gupta, managing director of ONGC Videsh Ltd, who became eligible after the maximum entry age was raised to 59 years. Gupta is noted as the most senior internal candidate from ONGC.
Other internal applicants from ONGC include Vikram Saxena, director for technology and field services, and Satyam Kumar, director for strategy and corporate affairs. Dulal Halder, director for operations at OVL, is also in the running.
The field also sees external candidates such as Devendra Kumar, MRPL director (finance), and S P Shrivastava, Indian Oil Corporation’s (IOC) director for marketing.
A Shifting Selection Process
The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) had invited applications for the position, which is set to become vacant on December 7, 2026, when Arun Kumar Singh completes his extended tenure. Applications officially closed on July 22.
Breaking from the usual PESB selection method, a search-cum-selection committee formed by the oil ministry will now conduct the selection process. This revised age limit and selection approach represent a departure from standard norms for board-level appointments in Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs).
This change allows for a broader pool of candidates to be considered, potentially extending tenure beyond the typical superannuation age of 60 on a contractual basis. The government had implemented similar relaxations for Singh’s appointment back in 2022.
This evolving selection process could redefine leadership appointments within India’s crucial state-run oil sector.