Arun Kumar Singh

Shri Arun Kumar Singh is the Chairman of ONGC and the ONGC Group of Companies. He assumed this role on December 7, 2022. In addition to his role at ONGC, Shri Singh serves as the Chairman of ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), ONGC Petro additions Limited (OPaL), and the ONGC Energy Centre Trust (OECT). The ONGC Group is a leader in the Exploration and Production (E&P) sector in India and maintains a significant international presence through its wholly owned subsidiary OVL. The group also has notable interests in refining, petrochemicals, power, and renewables. An industry stalwart, Shri Singh brings nearly four decades of extensive experience in the Oil & Gas industry. He holds a Mechanical Engineering Degree, Graduating first in his class from the National Institute of Technology, Patna. Previously, Shri Singh served as the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a ‘Maharatna’ and Fortune Global 500 Company. He also chaired Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL), a Joint Venture City Gas Distribution (CGD) Company listed on Indian Stock Exchanges. Additionally, he has held the position of President (Africa & Australia) at Bharat PetroResources Ltd (BPRL), a BPCL subsidiary focused on oil and gas exploration, primarily overseas. Shri Arun Kumar Singh is the President of the Global Compact Network India (GCNI), the Indian Local Network of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). He is the Chairman of the Federation of Indian Petroleum Industry’s (FIPI) Governing Council and has also chaired the CII Public Sector Enterprises Council for the year 2023-24.

Session Overview

Wednesday, 5 November

10:40

Global strategy ICC Hall A 10:40 - 11:20

Redefining the upstream industry: the new leadership agenda

The upstream industry has seen rapid transformation in recent years. Technology has been instrumental in this, as companies have focused on cost resilience by leveraging AI and digital technologies. Additionally, capital investment in the oil and gas sector will need to scale to meet rising demand – supporting long-term energy security while maximising shareholder value.

For upstream energy leaders, strategies can include both growth and consolidation in the form of portfolio diversification, strategic acquisitions and mergers, and scaling operations. In addition, with increased supply and lower oil price forecasts, cost reduction is imperative, and operators must champion integrated solutions across all operational aspects.

Additionally, investments can accelerate breakthroughs in scalable technologies such as renewable energy integration, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and Direct Air Capture (DAC), as well as advanced analytics to increase energy and production efficiency. Challenges remain in finding the right balance between decarbonisation and profitability priorities, which upstream leaders will have to navigate while simultaneously maintaining targets amidst shifting market dynamics.

Attendee insights:

Learn from energy companies about what their priorities are in upstream and how they are changing their business models to adapt to the current industry needs.