Arun Kumar Singh gets one-year extension as ONGC chairman and CEO

The Centre has extended Arun Kumar Singh's tenure as ONGC chairman and CEO by one year on contract, while setting up a committee led by PESB chief Mallika Srinivasan to select a regular chairman

The government has approved the re-employment of Arun Kumar Singh as Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) on a contract basis for another year, according to a senior company official. It has also approved setting up a committee for identification and selection of a regular chairman.

 

Who is on the committee to select a regular ONGC chairman?

 

The committee will be headed by Public Enterprise Selection Board (PESB) chairperson Mallika Srinivasan and comprise petroleum secretary Pankaj Jain and former Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) chairman B Ashok as members.

 

When was Arun Kumar Singh appointed ONGC chairman, and what is his background?

   

Singh was appointed ONGC chairman in December 2022 for a three-year term that was due to expire on December 6. Before that, he had retired as chairman and managing director (CMD) of public sector refiner Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) in October 2022.

 

Why does Singh’s extension come at a critical time for ONGC?

 

Singh’s reappointment comes at a time the company is facing increased pressure to boost domestic production. Under his leadership, ONGC has halted the decline in standalone crude oil production and has nearly arrested the decline in gas production.

 

What has ONGC reported on crude oil and gas output under Singh?

 

The company managed to arrest the declining trend in its production by registering a 1 per cent increase in crude oil output in 2024-25. In the first half of the current financial year, it registered a consistent increase in output, witnessing a rise of 1.2 per cent in total oil production in Q1 and a boost of 1.1 per cent in oil output in Q2.

 

Since when has ONGC been without a regular CMD?

 

The state-owned hydrocarbon explorer has been without a regular chairman and managing director since April 2021, when the previous chairman, Shashi Shanker, retired.