Mr.Suresh Gopi

Minister of State
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, overnment of India

Shri Suresh Gopi is serving as Minister of State in Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Ministry of Tourism, He was elected as Member of Parliament from Thrissur, Kerala and has had a distinguished career both in the entertainment industry and public service. His extensive background includes serving as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha from 2016 to 2022, where he was known for his advocacy on environmental issues and social justice. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology and a Master of Arts degree in English Literature from Fatima Mata National College in Kollam. Shri Suresh Gopi is poised to bring his diverse experiences and passion for public service to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas and Tourism, aiming to drive innovation and efficiency in India.

Shri. Pankaj Jain

Secretary
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas

Pankaj Jain serves as Secretary to the Government of India in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. Mr. Jain holds a Masters in Business Administration and is a qualified Cost Accountant. He has wide-ranging, extensive experience in governance as well as design and execution of policy across the National and State Governments. This has encompassed the domains of oil and natural gas, financial services (banking and institutional finance), industries, power, information technology, livelihoods and MSME promotion. Mr. Jain has extensive Board experience as Chairman/Director on the Board of companies in the Petroleum and Natural Gas Sector, Banks, Development Finance Institutions, Insurance Companies, Non-Banking Finance Companies and Regulatory/Supervisory Bodies.

Shri. Vinod Seshan

Joint Secretary (Exploration),
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Additonal Charge: DG, DGH

Shri Vinod Seshan is currently serving as Joint Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, with additional charge as Director General of the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH). A 2008 batch officer of the Indian Administrative Service (Assam cadre), he has over 20 years of experience spanning public policy, infrastructure project management, district administration, and crisis response. He has served on the boards of several government entities, including Oil India Limited and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.

Prior to joining the civil services, he worked in India’s software services sector across roles in software development, testing, and knowledge management. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from Visvesvaraya Technological University, Karnataka, and Master’s degrees in Public Policy and in Infrastructure, Investment and Finance from University College London.

Mr. Om Prakash Sinha

Director Designate (Exploration)
ONGC Limited

Mr. Om Prakash Sinha is the Director Designate (Exploration) at ONGC Limited. Prior to this role, he was the Executive Director – Head, Institute of Reservoir Studies, Ahmedabad dedicated for designing IOR/EOR Programmes for fields of ONGC. With more than 34 years of experience in ONGC, he has made significant contributions across various facets of Exploration and Production (E&P) activities across domains such as Exploration, Field Development, and Reservoir Management, where he has held several critical positions and demonstrated exceptional technical and managerial acumen. He holds a B.Tech degree in Petroleum Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad.

Mr. Praveen Mal Khanooja

Additional Secretary
Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas

Shri Praveen Mal Khanooja is currently the Additional Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG). Prior to this role, he was Director General, Petroleum Planning & Analysis Cell (PPAC), an attached office of the Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas since November 2019. Mr Khanooja is a B Tech in Chemical Engineering and M Tech in Management & Systems. He belongs to 1994 batch of Indian Audit & Accounts Service (IA&AS) and has worked in various capacities in Defense Audit, Railways Audit, State Government Accounts & Audit at many field and Headquarters’ postings. His diverse experience and technical expertise make him a valuable asset in shaping India’s energy policies and strategies.

Mr. Pankaj Kumar

Director (Production)
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited

Mr. Pankaj Kumar as the Director(Production), provides strategic stewardship to the entire spectrum of oil and natural gas production across ONGC's production fields, both in Offshore and Onshore. His extensive 35-year journey in the oil & gas sector encompasses multifaceted expertise in Operations Management, Well Engineering, Joint Venture Management, Corporate Strategy, and Asset Management. His leadership roles include Chief of the Corporate Strategy & Planning group of ONGC and Asset Manager of prominent producing assets. A Chemical Engineering graduate from the University of Roorkee (now IIT Roorkee), he holds a Master's degree in Process Engineering from IIT Delhi. His continuous academic pursuits have led him to advanced management programs at prestigious institutions.

Mr. Alok Lall

COO
Microsoft India and South Asia

Mr. Alok B. Lall is the Chief Operating Officer of Microsoft India and South Asia, where he leads the region’s strategy, marketing, and operations. With over 24 years at Microsoft, he has held leadership roles across partner development, business strategy, and customer engagement. Alok plays a key role in driving Microsoft’s digital transformation agenda across enterprise, public sector, and partner ecosystems, with a focus on innovation, sustainability, and inclusive growth. He holds a B.E. (Honours) in Electronics and Telecommunications from NIT Silchar.

Ms. Suchismita Sanyal

Director, Data Science
ExxonMobil

Ms. Suchismita Sanyal is an energy professional with over 23 years of corporate experience at ExxonMobil, Shell, and GE. As Director of Data Science at ExxonMobil, she leads a team developing AI solutions to enhance production operations and reliability while reducing GHG emissions for a net-zero future. She fosters collaboration among academia, industry, and start-ups, driving innovation and adaptability in large organizations. Suchismita holds a Master's in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science with distinction and the President’s Gold Medal. She has over 20 publications, 5 patents, and is a certified Level-3 TRIZ professional. A champion for Women in STEM, she leads Women in Technology initiatives and serves on the advisory board of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE).

Mr. Arun Kumar Singh

Chairman & CEO
ONGC Limited

Mr. Arun Kumar Singh is the Chairman and CEO of Energy Maharatna Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC). Mr. Singh commands a distinguished career spanning over 37 years in the Oil & Gas industry, both within India and on the global stage. Known for his push for corporate reforms, his astute professional business management skills have brought significant value to every enterprise he has led. Prior to this, he was the CMD of Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL). Additionally, he chaired Indraprastha Gas Ltd. (IGL), a prominent City Gas Distribution (CGD) Company, and played a pivotal role as a Board Member of Petronet LNG Ltd (PLL), a listed Joint Venture Company. As the President (Africa & Australia), he expanded the global footprints of Bharat Petro Resources Ltd, a wholly-owned overseas exploration subsidiary of BPCL. He holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the renowned National Institute of Technology, Patna. Under his stewardship, ONGC is taking significant steps to lead the Energy Transition going on in India.

Mr. Akshay Sahni

India Head
Chevron

Mr. Akshay Sahni is the Country Head of Chevron India, overseeing the Engineering and Innovation Excellence (ENGINE) center in Bengaluru, Karnataka. He joined Chevron as a Research Scientist, and has held various engineering and management roles in Bangladesh, Thailand, and across the United States. He holds a doctorate in Petroleum Engineering from Stanford University, an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Punjab University, and an MS in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He has authored over 20 technical publications and holds 3 patents.

Dr. Ranjit Rath

Chairman & Managing Director
Oil India Limited (OIL)

Dr. Ranjit Rath, Chairman & Managing Director (CMD), Oil India Limited (OIL) has an impeccable experience and expertise of more than 26 years in the field of geosciences. Dr. Rath is a proud recipient of the prestigious National Geosciences Award from the Hon`ble President of India. Dr. Rath has a rich portfolio of diverse roles spanning from strategy formulation, business development and upstream asset management to application of geosciences & exploration geology in several important projects including creation of Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPRs), a first of its kind initiative of Govt. of India entailing underground rock caverns for strategic storage of crude oil - An intervention towards Energy Security.

Mr. Saloma Yomdo

Director (Exploration & Development)
Oil India Limited

Mr. Saloma Yomdo is serving as Director (Exploration & Development) in Oil India Limited. Prior to this, he was heading the Exploration & Development Directorate of the Company in the capacity of Executive Director, overseeing E&D activities across India and overseas. He has actively implemented various exploration, development as well as reservoir management practices in OIL’s oil and gas fields, addressing challenges and achieving breakthroughs through fit-for-purpose technology and geoscientific studies. His efforts have contributed to sustaining production levels and extending the life of the oil and gas fields.

Mr. Yomdo holds Petroleum Engineering degree from Indian Institute of Technology (Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad. He has also presented and published technical papers in various international and national forums and is an active member of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), USA and Association of Petroleum Geologists (APG).

Mr. Lalit Aggarwal

Managing Director
India Head SLB

Mr. Lalit Aggarwal is serving as the Managing Director of SLB India, a distinguished leader in the energy sector with nearly three decades of experience at SLB. He started as a Field Engineer in India and held diverse roles in Technical, HR, Sales, and Business Management. As Vice President of Integrated Project Management, he expanded SLB’s portfolio in the Middle East and Asia. Notable achievements include pioneering underbalanced coil tubing drilling operations, for which he received SLB’s CEO Award, and strategic asset revitalization in Libya. Recently, he was honored with the FIPI Digital Company of the Year Award by India's Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Hardeep Singh Puri. Mr. Lalit is a Petroleum Engineering graduate from the Indian School of Mines (1994). He currently as MD, focuses on People, Technology, and Performance, supporting India's green energy transition and developing local talent.

Mr. Pankaj Goswami

Director (Operations)
Oil India Limited

Mr. Pankaj Kumar Goswami is the Director Operations of Oil India Limited has over 33 years of varied experience in oil & gas exploration and production activities at Assam and Assam-Arakan Basin in Northeast India. Additionally, he also holds the directorship in international JVs like JSC Vankorneft, LLC TYNGD and WorldAce Investments Limited. As Director Operations, he spearheads the entire gamut of activities related to oil and gas production & transportation in India and abroad. Mr. Goswami is also steering the energy transition journey of the Company with multi-pronged approach of resilient hydrocarbons, gas business development, renewables and other enablers such as hydrogen ecosystem development in the Country.  

Mr. Biswanath Ghosh

Director (Exploration)
Vedanta Limited

Mr. Biswanath Ghosh is serving as Director – Exploration in Cairn Oil & Gas. With over 20 years of experience in the oil and gas industry, he has been instrumental in leading extensive exploration and appraisal extensive exploration and appraisal campaigns across more than 50 blocks in 12 basins in India. His core competencies lie in exploration project management, prospect evaluation, geoscientific data interpretation, and utilizing advanced technologies such as 3D seismic visualization and multi-attribute classification. He holds MSc Tech degree in Applied Geophysics from Indian Institute of Technology(Indian School of Mines), Dhanbad.

Mr. Mahesh Sikaria

Sr. EVP-Petroleum E&P, Head – Mahanadi Basin
Reliance Industries Limited

Mr. Mahesh Sikaria is serving as the Senior Executive Vice President – Petroleum E&P and Head – Mahanadi Basin at Reliance Industries Limited. He leads end-to-end performance delivery across the E&P asset life cycle, including operations in the Mahanadi Basin. With over 25 years of cross-sector experience spanning energy, oil & gas, infrastructure, and finance, Mr. Sikaria has led strategic growth and execution across global markets, including Asia, North America, Latin America, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. His areas of expertise include P&L management, corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions, strategic partnerships, regulatory compliance, and digital transformation in the energy sector. He is a Chartered Accountant with expertise in finance, management accounting, costing, financial accounting, taxation, corporate law, and audit. He also holds a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce and Economics from Narsee Monjee College, Mumbai University, providing a strong foundation in finance and strategic management.

Mr. Neeraj Sethi

Managing Director
Baker Hughes

Mr. Neeraj Sethi, as the Managing Director at Baker Hughes which is a fully integrated energy technology company, leads the strategic and operational objectives for the business spanning the sub-continent. With over 27 years of international experience in the upstream oil and gas industry, he has a proven track record of growing and running divisions and companies at a country and district level, carrying out due diligence, integrating technology portfolios, and delivering optimal production and exploitation of current and new assets.

Mr. Kartikeya Dube

Head of Country, India
bp

Mr. Kartikeya Dube, currently the Head of Country & the Senior Vice President of bp’s gas & low carbon for India. He has been associated with bp for 20 years where he has held senior roles in finance, commercial and business transformation in India, Singapore and UK. He has an extensive 30 years of experience in Business Development, Investment Cases, Finance, Business Transformation, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), Risk Management, Debt, Procurement, Government Affairs, Advocacy etc. During his tenure at E&Y as a consultant, he provided guidance to numerous Fortune 500 multinational corporations across various industries. Mr. Dube is a Chartered Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce from Sydenam college. He has a track record of building diverse teams and leading collaborating across businesses and disciplines in support of bp’s growth plans.

Mr. Vikram Saxena

Director (Technology & Field Services)
ONGC Limited

Mr. Vikram Saxena is the Director of Technology & Field Services at ONGC, where he leads the Drilling & Well Services initiatives and manages Technical Services. He also oversees ONGC’s Institute of Drilling Technology and the School of Maintenance Practices in Vadodara. He has over 35 years of experience in Exploration & Production operations across onshore and offshore settings. Prior to his current role, he held several leadership positions at ONGC, focusing on operations, maintenance, regulatory compliance, health, safety, environment, and policy matters. He is committed to incorporating advanced technology and digitalization to enhance growth and sustainability in the energy sector Mr. Saxena holds a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering Dibrugarh University and an MBA in Human Resources from IGNOU, Delhi.

Mr. Rahul Patel

Chief Executive Officer
Transcontinental Energy Services

Mr. Rahul Patel serves as the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Transcontinental Energy Services (TCES). He brings a diverse background in investment banking at Merrill Lynch and has successfully led multiple business ventures. He founded TCES in response to the growing need for efficient and effective service solutions in the oil and gas sector. Under his leadership, the company is focused on delivering reliable and transparent services, with a long-term vision to become a leading provider of innovative solutions in the industry.

Mr. David Hume

Professor
University of Houston

Mr.  David Hume is currently a Business Development Specialist and Geoscience Advisor at Hume Energy Enterprises LLC, and serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Houston. He stands at the forefront of the upstream segment, leveraging his profound expertise in geoscience and carbon capture initiatives. His expertise includes senior project management, strategic partnership development, applied research, and revenue strategy creation, underscored by a blend of geoscience expertise with innovative business development practices. David’s innovative approach and commitment to sustainability and technological advancement have set a benchmark in the industry.

Mr. Thiago Onhas

SFP INM PSD Manager, Surface and Shallow Water
SLB

Mr. Thiago is the Products and Service Delivery Manager for Surface Production Systems in India and Bangladesh. He has 16 years of Oil & Gas related experience with extensive knowledge of Surface and Subsea Wellheads, XMT and Tree on Mudline.

Mr. Nikunj Dalmia

Managing Editor
ET NOW & ET NOW Swadesh

Mr. Nikunj Dalmia is the Managing Editor of ET NOW and ET NOW Swadesh, where he leads editorial strategy and content across both television and digital platforms. With over two decades of experience in business journalism, he has closely tracked the evolution of Indian capital markets, covering major financial events and market cycles. His deep understanding of market dynamics has made him a credible and trusted voice among industry stakeholders and viewers. Mr. Dalmia holds a degree in Commerce from Delhi University.

Mr. Vivek Rahi

Partner and National Head, Oil and Gas
KPMG India

Mr. Vivek Rahi, Partner and National Head, Oil and Gas at KPMG India is a seasoned professional with 16+ years of experience in energy sector with deep expertise in Upstream oil & gas, LNG, Natural Gas, City Gas Distribution (CGDs), Gas-to-power, New energies viz. Biofuels, Bio-methane, Hydrogen and CCUS. His key areas of expertise include policy & regulatory advisory, strategy & planning, business transformation, market studies, digital transformation, operation and process improvement, Techno-commercial due diligence, M&A & bid advisory, Investment promotion, energy pricing & economic modelling, oil & gas contracting & litigation support. Prior to consulting, he worked with Reliance Industries Limited as Key Account Manager with the Gas Marketing Division managing the business and commercial operations including contract negotiation, execution and operations of gas sales and transportation contracts for gas end-users.

Mr. Akhilesh Tuteja

Partner & National Leader, Clients and Markets and TMT
KPMG India

Mr. Akhilesh Tuteja is Partner & National Leader for Clients and Markets and the Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) sector at KPMG in India. He also serves as the Global Head – Cyber Security at KPMG in India. With advisory experience across 200+ clients, he has led engagements focused on cyber security, IT strategy, and technology implementation. He has contributed to the development of security and privacy frameworks for India's banking sector and is a notable speaker on cyber security and its implication on enterprise businesses.