ONGC’s New Chairman: charting a new course??

Arun Kumar Singh, the new government-appointed Chairman of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd is on a mission for sure. According to media bytes, he was at his eloquent best in a recent address to ONGC executives after having taking over the reins of one of India’s pivotal PSUs. Given the oil and gas producer’s legacy of project delays and exploratory struggles, he urged the team to pursue speed ahead of perfection aimed at making faster discoveries while keeping safety paramount.

He also spelt out his strategy going forward which includes fostering a work culture of openness, collaborating with global heavyweights in niche areas, making IT as integral as drilling, and bridging the talent gap through smart outsourcing.

One of his statements stands out for its breath of fresh air.

"We need to usher in more openness, even if it encourages criticising #ONGC to a limited extent to enable improvement"

he said, while underlining the need for justifying discretionary decisions provided the reasons are articulated and duly recorded.

• In his prior stint, Singh was the head of #BharatPetroleumCorp. The government order is however unclear on the appointment of the managing director
• Traditionally, at ONGC, the positions of chairman and the managing director are held by the same person. Well, CEO and MD, or only CEO, Singh surely means business!

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