Alka Mittal, Next Chairman and Managing Director at ONGC

Alka Mittal is appointed as the full-time chairman and managing director at Oil and Natural Gas Company (ONGC), announced by the company on January 3. 

With this charge, Alka has become the first woman ever to head ONGC as CMD. However, she is the temporary CMD and will hold the post for six months or until the regular appointment is announced. 

The state-run oil company has been functioning without a full-time chairman since former chief Shashi Shanker retired on March 31, 2021. Generally, the government selects the next CMD at least a few months before the retirement of the incumbent, but this case was little exceptional. After Shanker’s retirement, the charge was given to the senior-most director, Subhash Kumar. He took over the additional charge of the post on April 1, 2021. Kumar too retired at the end of December, leaving the position vacant for a couple of days. 

Alka is a postgraduate in Economics, MBA (HRM), and Doctorate in Commerce and Business Studies that helped her join ONGC. Prior to joining as MD, she held the charge of Chief Skill Development of the company. 

In her charge as CSD, she streamlined the activities and brought in uniformity in the working of the skill development center of ONGC, a note published on her official website suggested. 

Prior to joining as Director (HR), Mittal held charge of the chief skill development (CSD) of the company. In her capacity as CSD in-charge, she streamlined the activities and brought in uniformity in the working of the skill development centers of ONGC, stated a note published on her on the company’s official website.