Govt Raises ONGC Chairman Entry Age To 59, Offers Up To Five-Year Tenure

New Delhi, Jul 5: The Centre has relaxed the eligibility criteria for appointing the next chairman of state-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), raising the maximum entry age to 59 years and offering a fixed three-year tenure extendable by up to two years. The move is expected to widen the pool of candidates eligible to head India’s largest oil and gas producer.

The Public Enterprises Selection Board (PESB) has invited applications for the top post, which will fall vacant on December 7, 2026, when incumbent Arun Kumar Singh completes his extended tenure.

According to the advertisement, applicants should not have attained the age of 59 years on the date the vacancy arises. The selected candidate will be appointed initially for three years, with the possibility of a two-year extension based on a performance review. Any continuation beyond the age of 60 will be on a contractual basis.

Unlike the usual PESB selection process for Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), the appointment will be made by a search-cum-selection committee constituted by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

The revised eligibility marks a departure from the prevailing practice, where appointments are generally governed by residual service criteria and PSU chiefs serve until the retirement age of 60. The new framework allows the chairman to continue beyond the age of superannuation on contract.

The government had adopted a similar approach while appointing Arun Kumar Singh in 2022. A search-cum-selection committee chose him just two months before he turned 60, making him the first executive of that age to be appointed chairman of a leading state-run company.

Singh, who retired as Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd in October 2022, assumed charge of ONGC on December 6 that year after the Centre relaxed the eligibility norms. He was later granted a one-year extension, allowing him to continue until December 6, 2026, when he will be over 64 years of age.

The government had earlier initiated the process to appoint a regular chairman. PESB invited applications in April 2025, attracting more than a dozen candidates, including Oil India Ltd Chairman and Managing Director Ranjit Rath. However, interviews were never held and the selection process remained inconclusive without any official explanation.

ONGC had remained without a full-time chairman between April 2021 and December 2022, with the company being led by three interim chiefs before Singh’s appointment.

Applications for the post will close on July 21, while the last date for forwarding applications through the prescribed channel is July 30.

According to the job description, the chairman will be responsible for the company’s overall management and strategic direction, including strengthening exploration and production, driving revenue and profitability, expanding into new energy and petrochemicals through acquisitions and joint ventures, and accelerating technology adoption across the organization. (Agencies)