The proposal to merge state-owned oil & gas companies to create a single, unified giant has raised many eyebrows, and hackles.
SMALL MAY STILL BE BEAUTIFUL, but ‘larger the better’ is a more apt motto for modern business organisations. Size matters; particularly in the oil and gas industry where capital investments tend to be huge, and the risks, even higher. In contemporary times, technology giants are increasingly displacing traditional companies from the Fortune 500 lists. But oil is right at the top of the heap. And yet, the recent move by the Indian government to merge state-owned oil and gas companies to create a unified behemoth has triggered responses that range from surprise to disbelief to skepticism. Of course, there were some who have welcomed the move as a timely, wise and strategic decision.
While delivering his fourth budget speech on 1 February, finance minister Arun Jaitley declared: “The government plans to form a major oil company by merging some of the existing firms in the oil and gas sector to take on international and domestic players... Possibilities of such restructuring are visible in the oil & gas sector now and we propose to create an integrated public sector oil major that will be able to match the performance of international and domestic private sector oil and gas companies. (It will give them the) capacity to bear higher risks, avail economies of scale, take higher investment decisions and create more value for the stakeholders. India has 18 state-owned oil and gas companies at present. The top six include large exploration and production players namely Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Oil India, and refining and marketing companies namely Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), besides the gas giant GAIL.
The Unified Giant
Denne historien er fra February 06, 2017-utgaven av Businessworld.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra February 06, 2017-utgaven av Businessworld.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
MEMORIES & IMPRESSIONS
Ratan Tata was an exceptional human being. He was a visionary leader, esteemed industrialist, and a humanitarian, who left an indelible mark on India and the world.
The Robotaxi Market
The robotaxi market is shaping up to be a high-stakes battleground as tech giants and automakers race to transform urban mobility.
And the Nobel Prize Goes to AI
The recent Nobel Prize T awards to AI pioneers affiliated with Google have sparked a broader conversation about Big Tech's influence on research and the limitations of traditional prize categories.
Ola Electrified
Once considered a trailblazer in India’s electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem, Bhavish Aggarwal’s Ola Electric now faces a major accountability crisis.
Sharp Slide in Industrial Output on Eve of Deepavali
India’s index of industrial production (IIP) saw a sharp reversal in August, contracting by 0.1 per cent, in stark contrast to the 4.7 per cent growth in July, mostly because of significant contractions in mining and electricity generation.
Heralding the Solar Era with Sustainable Electrification
RAJEEV KASHYAP on the economics of solar power, the hurdles in scaling it, and much more
A WELL-GREASED MACHINE
The OmniBook X14 laptop runs on first-generation Snapdragon X Elite, which bets big on Al-enabled productivity and battery life, but falls short when it comes to overall experience, says Deep Majumdar
DO NOT LETA HEALTH CRISIS RUIN YOUR FINANCIAL HEALTH
For a family of four living in a metro, it is recommended to opt for a family floater health insurance plan with a sum insured of at least Rs 15-20 lakh
Disruption Ahead: Beyond Organisation Charts and Structures
ALBERT EINSTEIN FAMOUSLY said, “We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.
Dr. Rahul Shivajirao Kadam: A Visionary Leader Blending Sustainability, Innovation, And Social Empowerment
We are on the stage of global warming, and these technologies not only help prevent further damage but also leave behind a better environment for future generations.