Madhurjya Barua

From the Sporting Court to the Core of India’s Energy Workforce

MADHURJYA BARUA

Executive Director (HR&FA),

OIL INDIA

Aformer international badminton player, Madhurjya Barua brings to the corporate world the same discipline, focus, and team spirit that once defined his game. His early experiences as an athlete at the highest level laid a strong foundation for a remarkable 35-year career in one of the most dynamic sectors—India’s hydrocarbon industry. Today, Madhurjya serves as the Executive Director (HR & Field Administration) at Oil India Limited (OIL), a Maharatna PSU under the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas. Headquartered in Duliajan, Assam, OIL has evolved into a fully integrated energy company, particularly after the strategic inclusion of Numaligarh Refinery into its portfolio. This move has extended OIL’s reach across the hydrocarbon value chain. Since joining the company in 1990, Madhurjya has held diverse roles across HR, field operations, and administration, managing a strong workforce of over 6,400 employees. His leadership has been instrumental in navigating the complexities of challenging terrains in Assam and Rajasthan, while simultaneously enhancing infrastructure and workforce capabilities. His tenure at the Centre of Excellence for Energy Studies marked a crucial period of fostering industry-academia collaboration. As a senior leader, he now drives HR transformation—ushering in automation, embracing innovation, and positioning human resources as a core business enabler. Empathetic yet execution-driven, Madhurjya is known for building cohesive teams and sustainable stakeholder relationships. In this conversation with TradeFlock, he reflects on his purpose-led journey and the values that fuel his vision for the future.

“My journey from the sports field to the oil field has been anything but conventional,” he says. “Discipline, resilience, and teamwork continue to guide me.”

People or process—what comes first in your leadership, and how do you balance both?

People always come first. They are the driving force behind every successful outcome. Even the best-designed processes fall short if the people executing them aren’t engaged or empowered. That’s why I believe processes should serve people, not the other way around. The key is to build systems that are agile, inclusive, and growth-orientated. I involve teams in shaping processes, ensuring they understand the “why” behind each step. This fosters ownership, accountability and continuous improvement. When people are equipped with the right skills and feel recognised, they bring energy and innovation to the table, proving that empowered individuals make processes truly effective.

How do you align HR practices with a diverse age-group workforce?

At Oil India, we recognise the value of a multigenerational workforce and tailor our HR policies to bridge experience with innovation. Our approach fosters synergy between seasoned professionals and new-age talent through structured mentorship, cross-functional collaboration, and knowledge sharing. Policies emphasise continuous learning, offering reskilling and leadership programmes in partnership with top institutes. We also adopt data-driven performance management systems that are fair, transparent, and goal-orientated. By promoting inclusivity, adaptability and innovation, we ensure our people strategies remain relevant, supporting both operational excellence and our transition toward green and renewable energy.

What sets Oil India’s HR strategy apart in the energy sector?

Oil India’s operations in geographically and logistically complex regions shape a unique, humane approach to HR. Our people-centric strategies focus on fostering interpersonal bonds, ensuring inclusion and balancing legacy expertise with digital innovation. We emphasise diversity, with initiatives to increase women’s representation and regional talent in field operations. Mentorship and cross-generational collaboration are embedded in our culture. Our wellbeing programmes include mental wellness, work-life balance, extended family benefits and financial literacy for preretirement planning. We’re committed to creating a resilient, digitally ready workforce, blending traditional values with futureforward capabilities. Adopting a performance-driven evaluation method, OIL is building a resilient, digitally adept, future-ready workforce to take on challenges in any situation.

What sets Oil India’s HR strategy apart in the energy sector?

What defining milestones have shaped your leadership journey?

From representing India in international badminton to leading as Executive Director at Oil India Limited, my journey has been defined by discipline, resilience, and strategic thinking. I transitioned the athlete’s mindset—focus, teamwork, and purpose—into corporate leadership, rising through HR, field administration, and operations. I’ve led projects improving asset management and operational efficiency, while fortifying pipeline security through collaborations with government and tech partners. At every step, I’ve championed a culture of performance and accountability, aligning people strategies with business outcomes. Whether on the court or in the boardroom, I’ve learned that sustained excellence comes from vision, execution, and an unshakeable commitment.

With talent moving abroad, how does Oil India keep its best people?

OIL stands out with a remarkably low attrition rate, thanks to its strong people-first culture. As a Maharatna PSU, we offer the right blend of stability, growth, and purpose—factors that matter deeply in today’s evolving talent landscape. Our growing global presence creates international exposure opportunities within the organisation, while robust leadership programs, technical training, and cross-functional roles foster continuous development. With structured career paths and meaningful projects, we keep our best people engaged, empowered, and committed for the long run.

In the face of AI disruption, how is Oil India building a resilient workforce?

AI and automation are transforming the oil & gas sector, and at Oil India, we’re proactively preparing our workforce for this shift. It starts with comprehensive skill assessments and targeted upskilling in automation, cybersecurity, cloud tech and digital innovation. We’re integrating AI in talent acquisition and deploying smart technologies across operations, from drone-based monitoring and predictive maintenance to AI-powered seismic analysis and SCADA upgrades. Our training now includes Industry 4.0 themes like IoT, digital oilfields and data-driven decision-making. To support this shift, we’ve launched microlearning platforms, immersive training and AI awareness sessions. We’re managing change through strong communication, incentives and ethical AI practices. In OIL, safety is non-negotiable. AI is enhancing hazard detection, compliance and sustainability by helping track and reduce our carbon footprint. This transformation is not just technological but cultural, ensuring our people remain at the core of our strategy while keeping Oil India future-ready.

How is Oil India Limited staying relevant in today’s fast-changing energy landscape?

OIL, a Maharatna PSU with over six decades of legacy, is boldly shaping the future of energy. From drilling India’s deepest onshore wells to foraying into offshore exploration in the Andaman and KG Basin, OIL is expanding its operational horizons while embracing sustainability at its core. With an ambitious ₹25,000 crore investment plan, OIL aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2040. Its green push includes solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects, along with India’s first bamboo-based bio-refinery through its subsidiary, Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL). The company is also upgrading its legacy 1,157 km Naharkatia-Barauni pipeline and building a new 1,635 km pipeline from Paradip to Numaligarh to modernise its infrastructure. Beyond hydrocarbons, OIL is venturing into critical minerals like lithium and vanadium— key to clean technologies. It is actively replacing diesel with natural gas across group operations and expanding its City Gas Distribution (CGD) footprint alongside OMCs. OIL has already installed 188 MW of renewable energy, including 174 MW from wind and 39 MW from solar. With projects in compressed biogas, bioethanol, geothermal, and hydrogen, OIL is blending innovation, digitalisation, and environmental stewardship to fuel India’s growth and lead its energy transition journey.

If you could transform one aspect of HR in the energy sector, what would it be?

I would reposition HR from a support function to a strategic business partner. In India’s energy landscape, HR often operates in silos, limiting its impact. Embedding HR leadership into core business decisions, especially around automation, renewables and Net Zero, ensures alignment with future goals. A datadriven, agile HR model is essential to drive transformation and build a resilient, futureready workforce.

Which unconventional HR strategy under your leadership created lasting change?

One of the most transformative HR initiatives under my leadership was the development of a sustainable executive residential complex in Jodhpur—a project that took HR beyond conventional boundaries into infrastructure, wellness, and long-term employee engagement. Launched in 2023 at Oil India Limited, this initiative addressed the challenge of attracting and retaining talent in a remote location by offering highquality, eco-conscious housing. In collaboration with the Government of Rajasthan, we secured land and drove the project from concept to completion. The complex integrates solar power, rainwater harvesting, and green building standards, alongside recreational areas and sports facilities to promote work-life balance. This initiative has significantly boosted employee morale, retention, and community spirit—proving that HR can drive strategic and human-centric transformation.

How is Oil India ensuring its workforce remains future-ready amid shifting energy trends?

At Oil India Limited, staying ahead in a transforming energy landscape means investing in a skilled, adaptable, and future-ready workforce. Our Learning and Development (L&D) strategy is built around continuous capability enhancement, aligned with both business goals and personal growth. We’ve introduced targeted upskilling initiatives across technical, digital, and leadership domains—including preparing our drilling teams for offshore operations. Collaborations with IIMs support strategic leadership development, while sustainability and digital transformation are embedded into learning via workshops, simulations, and virtual platforms. With mentoring, cross-functional exposure, and knowledge-sharing at the core, we’re building a resilient, innovation-driven talent pool ready to lead Oil India into the energy future.