The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) has approved the appointment of Sunil Kumar, currently serving as executive director at Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), as the next chairman of the state-run energy giant for a three-year term beginning December 7, 2026. Under the official order, Kumar will hold the top post from the date he assumes charge on or after December 7 until his superannuation in December 2028, continuing thereafter on a contractual basis to complete his combined three-year tenure. Selected after two rigorous rounds of interviews conducted by a search-cum-selection committee under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Kumar creates historical precedent by becoming the first leader in ONGC’s history to be elevated directly from executive director rank to chairman. Aged 58, he will succeed incumbent Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Arun Singh, who has led the petroleum explorer since December 2022. Kumar brings extensive corporate and operational expertise to the position, having taken charge as executive director and asset manager of ONGC’s critical Mehsana Asset in January 2025. A petroleum engineering alumnus of the Indian School of Mines (ISM), Dhanbad, he also holds postgraduate qualifications in business management with specializations in marketing and finance. This milestone leadership transition arrives at a critical juncture for ONGC, which accounts for approximately 75 percent of India’s domestic crude oil and natural gas production. As the country’s flagship upstream explorer, the company faces growing strategic pressure to enhance domestic output while aggressively expanding its portfolio into emerging areas of energy transition.