The Department of Personnel and Training on Monday evening appointed Mittal to the post, 72 hours after it fell vacant, Subhash Kumar, who held the charge since February 2021 in addition to his regular job as director (finance), retiring on December 31. Happened.
Mittal, presently Director (HR), has been appointed for a term of six months or till a regular Chairman is appointed, whichever is earlier. But still, his ascent to the corner office in ONGC reflects the growing diversity in the ‘macho’ oil and gas industry which is still one of the last bastions of male dominance.
A post graduate in economics and a doctorate in commerce, Mittal broke the glass ceiling in ONGC by becoming the first woman to join the company’s board on November 27, 2018. He played a leading role in ensuring a safe working environment for 27,000 employees. And thousands of contract workers, especially women workers and engineers, deployed on offshore platforms and remote locations, to ensure uninterrupted operations through the pandemic.
His appointment comes at a time when ONGC is under pressure to monetize key producing sectors by involving private partners – ostensibly to incorporate technology and ramp up production.
Mittal’s appointment coincides with Mittal, with long experience as Head of Skill Development in ONGC before becoming Director Modi Government’s focus on skilling, creating a conducive workplace environment for women and improving corporate governance. With a penchant for training and mentorship, Mittal initiated several programs to nurture talent and enhance the skills of ONGC’s large workforce, especially women. Prior to becoming Director (HR), Mittal had trained over 11,000 graduate trainees of ONGC since 2001 on Corporate Governance as part of their induction programme.
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