Alka Mittal to become first woman CMD to head ONGC

Alka Mittal replaces Subhash Kumar

Alka Mittal has been appointed as the interim chairman and managing director of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), who is the first woman to head the country’s largest oil and gas producer.

She replaces Subhash Kumar, who was also the interim head and retired after reaching superannuation age on December 31.

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) said that, "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the proposal of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas for entrustment of additional charge of the post of Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), ONGC to Alka Mittal, Director (HR), 

ONGC for a period of six months from January 1, 2022, or till the appointment of a regular incumbent to the post, or until the further orders.

She became the first woman to head a Leading oil and gas exploration and Production Company. Earlier, Nishi Vadudeva was the first to head an oil company when she took over the reins of oil refiner and fuel marketing company Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) in 2014.

In terms of Education, Alka Mittal is a post-graduate and a doctorate in commerce. She became the first woman to join ONGC’s board on November 27, 2018.

ONGC will now have two full-time woman directors after the government headhunter Public Enterprise Selection Board (PSEB) selected Pomila Jaspal for the post of Director (Finance).