Meet Rakesh Kumar: Indian Oil executive recommended for CPCL’s Director of Operations post

Rakesh Kumar, currently General Manager of Technical Services at IOCL, was selected from nine candidates for CPCL’s board-level Director of Operations role. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet must approve the recommendation before he can take charge.

Rakesh Kumar, a senior Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) executive, has received a board-level recommendation. The Public Enterprises Selection Board recommended him as Chennai Petroleum Corporation Limited’s Director of Operations.

Rakesh Kumar currently serves as General Manager of Technical Services at Indian Oil Corporation Limited. His professional background covers oil refining, technical operations and management of downstream petroleum activities.

The recommendation could bring a major step forward in his career. However, his appointment still needs final approval from the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet.

The selection board’s recommendation will now go before the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet. This committee must give final approval before Kumar takes charge.

Once approved, he will become CPCL’s Director of Operations. For now, his selection remains a recommendation awaiting that decision.

Career in refinery

Rakesh Kumar is a petroleum sector professional with experience in the industry. His work has focused on refinery operations, engineering and improving technical processes.

These areas form a part of his profile. His experience includes work with India’s government-owned energy companies.

At IOCL, he holds a position in technical services. The proposed CPCL role would take him into the company’s board-level leadership.

Selected from 9 candidates

The selection followed a competitive panel interview conducted by the Public Enterprises Selection Board. Kumar was chosen from among nine candidates representing major public-sector oil and gas companies, according to PSU Connect.

The panel also interviewed senior executives from IOCL, CPCL and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. Their roles covered operations, production, human resources, planning and other business functions.

Among the IOCL candidates was Kondapalli Siva Rama Rao, Chief General Manager and CEO of IOLPL. M Sankar, Chief General Manager in the Chairman’s Secretariat, also appeared before the panel.

Muralidhar S represented IOCL as Chief General Manager for LPG at its Karnataka State Office. Om Prasad Chetry, General Manager in charge of human resources, was another IOCL candidate.

CPCL candidates included Purushotham, Chief General Manager for Corporate Planning and Business Development. Thullibilli Kishor Babu, General Manager of Operations, was also interviewed.

ONGC candidates included Bhishmadev Mandal, Chief General Manager of Production. Om Prakash, General Manager overseeing Operations and Maintenance Contracts, also appeared for the interview.

Director of Operations is a Schedule ‘A’ board-level position at CPCL. The director oversees the refinery’s operations and related company functions.

CPCL is an IOCL subsidiary and a petroleum refining company in South India. The position comes under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

About the Author

Sounak Mukhopadhyay covers trending news, sports and entertainment for LiveMint. His reporting focuses on fast-moving stories, box office performance, digital culture and major cricket developments. He combines real-time updates with clear context for everyday readers. <br><br> Sounak brings newsroom experience across breaking news, explainers and long-form features. He has a strong emphasis on accuracy, verification and responsible storytelling. His work tracks audience behaviour, celebrity influence and the business of sport and cinema. He helps readers understand why a story matters beyond the headline. <br><br> Sounak has contributed to widely read digital publications. He continues to build a body of journalism shaped by consistency, speed and editorial clarity. He is particularly interested in the intersection of media, popular culture and public conversation in contemporary India. <br><br> At LiveMint, he writes daily coverage as well as analytical pieces that interpret numbers, trends and cultural moments in accessible language. His approach prioritises factual depth, balanced framing and reader trust. The reporting aligns with modern newsroom standards of transparency and credibility. <br><br> Outside daily reporting, he explores storytelling across formats including podcasts, filmmaking and narrative non-fiction. Through his journalism, Sounak aims to document the rhythms of modern entertainment and sports while maintaining rigorous editorial integrity. <br><br> Sounak continues to develop audience-focused journalism that connects speed with substance in a rapidly-changing information environment. His work seeks clarity, trust and lasting public value in every story he reports.