NEW DELHI: Eighteen months after turning into head of Engineers India Ltd.the state-owned company that constructed many of the nation’s oil refineries, Vartika Shukla says its transformation is accumulating tempo.
Shukla, who is labored for the corporate for greater than 3 many years, is making an attempt to switch its profile, branching out from building of fossil-fuel vegetation into new spaces similar to renewable calories initiatives. EIL is development India’s first biorefinery, which can use bamboo to supply bioethanol, and shifting into inexperienced hydrogen and sustainable aviation gasoline.
We’ve “built a lot of alliances in upcoming areas,” Shukla, 57, mentioned in an interview on the company’s New Delhi headquarters, sitting beneath framed images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Draupadi Murmu,
The adjustments beneath manner at EIL are enjoying out around the calories business as low-emissions assets turn out to be more and more vital. Renewables will account for the majority expansion on this planet’s electrical energy provide over the following 3 years, consistent with the International Energy Agency.
While EIL has made some development in diversifying clear of fossil gasoline initiatives, it has extra paintings to do. About 10% of the corporate’s order e book is from renewable and clean-energy initiatives, Shukla informed Bloomberg Television final month.
EIL used to be based in 1965 and is 51% owned via the Indian govt. The corporate has performed a key function in development 180 million tonnes of India’s 251 million tonnes of home refining capability, Shukla mentioned. It additionally carries out initiatives in delicate sectors of the rustic’s financial system, similar to protection and nuclear, and has operations out of the country. It’s creating a refinery and petrochemicals complicated in Nigeria, and likewise developing a refinery in Mongolia.
The corporate trades publicly within the nation’s inventory marketplace. Its stocks have won 3.6% since Shukla was chair and managing director, when put next with a 23% build up for an index of state-owned corporations.
Shukla is a fairly uncommon instance of a girl who rose to the highest of an Indian corporate, particularly one owned via the federal government and running within the historically male realm of oil and gasoline. India nonetheless lags in the back of the worldwide reasonable in relation to feminine executives.
She joined EIL in 1988 at a time when there have been ceaselessly no restrooms for girls on building websites within the nation. If she sought after to make use of the amenities, a guard needed to stand out of doors to ensure no males entered.
The local of Lucknow, a town about 530 kilometers (330 miles) southeast of New Delhi, took the process after learning chemical engineering at college. Her father, who had a doctorate in hydraulics, spurred her pastime in engineering when the 2 used to spend hours in combination in his storage repairing vehicles.
“I wanted to serve the nation,” she recalled of why she joined a state-owned company. She additionally famous that she did not assume that deeply concerning the variations between the private and non-private sectors on the time.
In September 2021, she used to be selected as the corporate’s leader, forward of 7 different applicants, six of whom have been males.
The odds have been in opposition to Shukla turning into EIL’s chief.
India ranks in the back of different international locations within the area for feminine participation within the personnel. Just 23% of India’s ladies are within the personnel, consistent with World Bank information for 2021. That compares with 25% for Pakistan, 34% for Sri Lanka, 37% for Bangladesh and 28% for Nepal. And at EIL, handiest 12% of the team of workers is feminine.
India’s president and finance minister are ladies, and one of the most main banks were led via ladies, however simply 15% of C-suite executives within the nation are feminine, consistent with RelatedIn Economic Graph information. That compares with 25% globally, consistent with the knowledge, which is in keeping with profile knowledge and platform habits of RelatedIn customers.
Of the 24 biggest state-owned firms, handiest two are led via ladies. Shukla may be the one feminine head of a state-owned, publicly traded company administered via the federal oil ministry. Hindustan Petroleum Corp. used to be in the past run via a girl, Nishi Vasudeva, who additionally hailed from EIL.
“I’ve always put that extra bit in whatever I have done in my life,” Shukla mentioned when requested what elements ended in her being selected as EIL’s head. “I have made sure that my contribution is differentiated.”
She mentioned she takes the time to assume laterally and be inventive in her choices as she seeks to develop into the company.
Shukla’s time period runs till February 2026. Last yr, she interviewed for the highest publish at Oil & Natural Gas Corp., consistent with the Press Trust of India. The corporate is India’s biggest state-owned explorer, with a marketplace cap about 45 instances better than EIL’s.
And requested whether or not she may make the soar to politics at some point, Shukla did not rule that out.
“Why not?” she mentioned with a grin.
Shukla, who is labored for the corporate for greater than 3 many years, is making an attempt to switch its profile, branching out from building of fossil-fuel vegetation into new spaces similar to renewable calories initiatives. EIL is development India’s first biorefinery, which can use bamboo to supply bioethanol, and shifting into inexperienced hydrogen and sustainable aviation gasoline.
We’ve “built a lot of alliances in upcoming areas,” Shukla, 57, mentioned in an interview on the company’s New Delhi headquarters, sitting beneath framed images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Draupadi Murmu,
The adjustments beneath manner at EIL are enjoying out around the calories business as low-emissions assets turn out to be more and more vital. Renewables will account for the majority expansion on this planet’s electrical energy provide over the following 3 years, consistent with the International Energy Agency.
While EIL has made some development in diversifying clear of fossil gasoline initiatives, it has extra paintings to do. About 10% of the corporate’s order e book is from renewable and clean-energy initiatives, Shukla informed Bloomberg Television final month.
EIL used to be based in 1965 and is 51% owned via the Indian govt. The corporate has performed a key function in development 180 million tonnes of India’s 251 million tonnes of home refining capability, Shukla mentioned. It additionally carries out initiatives in delicate sectors of the rustic’s financial system, similar to protection and nuclear, and has operations out of the country. It’s creating a refinery and petrochemicals complicated in Nigeria, and likewise developing a refinery in Mongolia.
The corporate trades publicly within the nation’s inventory marketplace. Its stocks have won 3.6% since Shukla was chair and managing director, when put next with a 23% build up for an index of state-owned corporations.
Shukla is a fairly uncommon instance of a girl who rose to the highest of an Indian corporate, particularly one owned via the federal government and running within the historically male realm of oil and gasoline. India nonetheless lags in the back of the worldwide reasonable in relation to feminine executives.
She joined EIL in 1988 at a time when there have been ceaselessly no restrooms for girls on building websites within the nation. If she sought after to make use of the amenities, a guard needed to stand out of doors to ensure no males entered.
The local of Lucknow, a town about 530 kilometers (330 miles) southeast of New Delhi, took the process after learning chemical engineering at college. Her father, who had a doctorate in hydraulics, spurred her pastime in engineering when the 2 used to spend hours in combination in his storage repairing vehicles.
“I wanted to serve the nation,” she recalled of why she joined a state-owned company. She additionally famous that she did not assume that deeply concerning the variations between the private and non-private sectors on the time.
In September 2021, she used to be selected as the corporate’s leader, forward of 7 different applicants, six of whom have been males.
The odds have been in opposition to Shukla turning into EIL’s chief.
India ranks in the back of different international locations within the area for feminine participation within the personnel. Just 23% of India’s ladies are within the personnel, consistent with World Bank information for 2021. That compares with 25% for Pakistan, 34% for Sri Lanka, 37% for Bangladesh and 28% for Nepal. And at EIL, handiest 12% of the team of workers is feminine.
India’s president and finance minister are ladies, and one of the most main banks were led via ladies, however simply 15% of C-suite executives within the nation are feminine, consistent with RelatedIn Economic Graph information. That compares with 25% globally, consistent with the knowledge, which is in keeping with profile knowledge and platform habits of RelatedIn customers.
Of the 24 biggest state-owned firms, handiest two are led via ladies. Shukla may be the one feminine head of a state-owned, publicly traded company administered via the federal oil ministry. Hindustan Petroleum Corp. used to be in the past run via a girl, Nishi Vasudeva, who additionally hailed from EIL.
“I’ve always put that extra bit in whatever I have done in my life,” Shukla mentioned when requested what elements ended in her being selected as EIL’s head. “I have made sure that my contribution is differentiated.”
She mentioned she takes the time to assume laterally and be inventive in her choices as she seeks to develop into the company.
Shukla’s time period runs till February 2026. Last yr, she interviewed for the highest publish at Oil & Natural Gas Corp., consistent with the Press Trust of India. The corporate is India’s biggest state-owned explorer, with a marketplace cap about 45 instances better than EIL’s.
And requested whether or not she may make the soar to politics at some point, Shukla did not rule that out.
“Why not?” she mentioned with a grin.