Battle for BPCL’s leadership: 12 names shortlisted

In a significant development for the energy sector, indications suggest that the government is finally moving towards appointing a full-term Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) for Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), one of India’s leading state-owned oil and gas companies. After months of anticipation and speculation, recent updates confirm that the interview process for the coveted post has gathered momentum.

According to sources, the Search-cum-Selection Committee has shortlisted 12 candidates from a large pool of nearly five dozen applicants for the prestigious leadership role. The shortlisted candidates will appear before the committee for the final round of interviews scheduled on November 4, 2025.

This development marks a crucial phase in BPCL’s leadership transition, as the company has been operating under interim leadership amid a period of energy market volatility, strategic expansion, and the government’s continued emphasis on strengthening public sector enterprises in the energy domain.

Industry observers believe that the appointment of a full-time CMD will provide BPCL with greater strategic direction and policy clarity, particularly as the company navigates India’s energy transition, expands its downstream business, and reinforces its commitment to national energy security. The outcome of this selection will be closely monitored by both the industry and financial markets.

Those in fray for the top job include –

• Sanjay Khanna, Director (Refineries) with Additional Charge of Chairman & Managing Director – BPCL

• Vetsa Ramakrishna Gupta – Director (Finance) BPCL

• Subhankar Sen, Director (Marketing) – BPCL

• Pushp Kumar Nayar, Executive Director (HRD) – BPCL

• Biju Gopinath, Executive Director Pipelines – BPCL

• Pandiyan T V, Executive Director and Business Head (LPG), BPCL

• Manoj Heda, Executive Director (International Trade and Risk Management) – BPCL

• Chacko Jose, Executive Director – Bina Refinery, BPCL

• Anuj Jain, Director Finance – IOCL

• Mathew Varghese, Executive Director, Indian Oil Corporation Limited

• Kamal Kishore Chatiwal, MD, Indraprastha Gas Limited

• Deepak Gupta, Director (Projects) – GAIL (India) Limited

The set seems to be tough as eight candidates are from BPCL only while two are from IOCL and one each from IGL and GAIL (INDIA) Limited.