Subhechcha Ganguly 
Ranjan Mohapatra is the current Director (HR) of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL), a Fortune 500 company and India’s largest commercial enterprise. He joined IOCL as a trainee officer in 1987 and has since then, climbed up the ranks to become one of the most influential executives in the organization. He has served as the Chairman of Indian Oil (Mauritius) and the Chairman of Lanka IOC PLC.
Mr. Mohapatra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from Xavier Institute of Management, Bhubaneswar.
With over 37 years of experience in IOCL, Mr. Mohapatra has worked in various roles across the organization. He started his career as a Maintenance Engineer in Haldia Refinery and subsequently worked in various refineries across India.
“I’ve seen a lot of changes because of all the things that have happened in the last 30 years; the last two years have been phenomenal in that respect, completely going the other way from whatever was happening. A few changes that I’m seeing is in the mindset of recruitees, and the application of technology, knowledge and experience. Further, for me, there are three As – things that matter a lot. Firstly, you have to be Agile, Adaptable and Align with the purpose of the company and in our case, the country also. And it will go on changing”, says he.
On opportunities for career diversification at IOCL, he said, “Normally, we have one norm that every 3-4 years, we should have a change of posting in marketing, pipeline and refineries. In our career path model, we may not be able to do it physically for all, but we encourage that by the time employees have completed 12-15 years of their service, they should have worked in two different assignments, functions and regions”.
As the Director (HR) of IOCL, Mr. Mohapatra is responsible for leading the human resource function of the organization, which includes talent management, employee engagement, performance management, learning and development, compensation and benefits, and diversity and inclusion. He is also a member of the Board of Directors and contributes to the overall strategic direction of the company.
Under Mr. Mohapatra’s leadership, IOCL has been recognized as a Great Place to Work for six consecutive years (2015-2020) and has also won several other awards for its HR practices. He has been instrumental in driving the organization’s digital transformation journey and has implemented several technology-enabled HR solutions to improve employee experience and engagement.
Mr. Mohapatra is also a member of various industry forums and associations, including the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and the National HRD Network (NHRDN). He has been a speaker at several national and international conferences and has published articles on HR and leadership in various business publications.
Overall, Mr. Ranjan Mohapatra is a seasoned executive with a wealth of experience in IOCL and has played a key role in the organization’s growth and success. His vision and leadership have helped IOCL build a strong and engaged workforce, which is critical for the organization’s continued success in the highly competitive oil and gas industry.
