PSU Watch | Indian Oil Officers’ body sends SOS to Puri against abolishment of Director (R&D) post

Jan 11,2023

The Indian Oil Officers’ Association has written a letter to Hardeep Singh Puri, Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, urging the minister to review and disapprove the proposal to abolish the post of Director (R&D) at Indian Oil Corporation. According to the letter accessed by PSU Watch, the officers’ association has questioned the rationale behind the decision to do away with the top-notch post by arguing that it acts as an important interface between the industry and the academia and a Director-level post ensures representation from the R&D department on IOC’s Board of Directors.

The association has said that the Indian Oil R&D Centre has been engaged in indigenising technologies and products that give cutting edge advantage to India as a country and reduce the country’s dependence on foreign technologies for the last 50 years. “This progressive and delivery was only possible through the commitment and untiring sprit of the past and the present workforce belonging to the scientific community operational at R&D Centre,” said the letter. “The post over the past two decades not only acted as an interface between industry and academia but also represented country on various international forums highlighting the technical prowess of India,” it added.

PSU Watch was the first to report about Indian Oil’s decision to abolish the Director (R&D) position.

Indian Oil setting up another Rs 3,200-cr R&D campus at Faridabad
The officers’ association has expressed surprise at the decision to do away with the Director (R&D) post because Indian Oil is in the process of setting up a second R&D campus at Faridabad at a cost of Rs 3,200 crore. “This news has come as a great shocker for the scientific community not only from IndianOil but also from other O&G sector PSUs and the institute of scientific eminence like CSIR labs and IITs. The surprise further intensifies when IndianOil is setting up a massive 2nd R&D campus at Faridabad at a whooping budget of Rs. 3,200 crore,” said the letter.

“Although, we don’t subscribe to the rumours floating in the corridors to be true, however, we still want to humbly submit an appeal for not considering this proposal of abandoning the post of Director (R&D) of IndianOil Corporation Limited and give us an opportunity to continuously strive towards meeting the nation objectives of energy security and net zero commitments with full vigour and commitment,” the officers have told Puri in the letter.

Director (R&D) post ensures approval for futuristic projects: IOC ex-CMD
Speaking to PSU Watch, Indian Oil’s former Director (R&D) and Chairman RK Malhotra said, “Indian Oil’s R&D Department is one of the best in the country. Director (R&D), if present on the board, can get futuristic, visionary projects approved so that research can be initiated ahead of others. If the department is headed by an Executive Director alone then they will have no presence on the board or have a say on policy matters taken up for discussion by the board.”

“IndianOil R&D plays a pivotal role in the sustainability of business and the future growth of the organisation, especially net zero, green hydrogen and de-fossilisation process of oil sector. The abolishment of Director R&D post in Indian Oil board is shocking for R&D scientists and contradictory to Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji’s vision of ‘New India’ and his slogan ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Anusandhan,’” said Dr Ajay Sharma, Secretary, Indian Oil Officers’ Association, R&D.