Sanjay Kumar Named Next CEO of Petronet LNG

Sanjay Kumar, Director (Marketing) at GAIL (India) Ltd, has been appointed as the next Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Petronet LNG Ltd. His five-year term will begin on 13 May 2027 after the completion of the extended tenure of the current CEO, A K Singh, on 12 May 2027.

Petronet LNG Ltd

Petronet LNG Ltd is India’s largest liquefied natural gas importer. The company operates major LNG terminals at Dahej in Gujarat and Kochi in Kerala, with a combined regasification capacity of 27.5 million tonnes per annum (MMTPA).

Corporate Ownership and Structure

Petronet LNG is a joint venture among four state-run energy companies. Indian Oil Corporation, GAIL (India) Ltd, Oil and Natural Gas Corp, and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd each hold a 12.5% stake in the company.

Professional Background of Sanjay Kumar

Sanjay Kumar is 59 years old and holds a mechanical engineering degree from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA. He has more than 35 years of experience in the natural gas and LNG value chain. He served as Managing Director of Indraprastha Gas from April 2022 and joined GAIL as Director (Marketing) in mid-June 2023.

Important Facts for Exams

• Liquefied natural gas is natural gas cooled to about minus 162 degrees Celsius for storage and transport.
• Regasification is the process of converting LNG back into gaseous form for pipeline supply.
• Dahej LNG terminal is located in Gujarat, and Kochi LNG terminal is located in Kerala.
• Petronet LNG is linked to India’s LNG import and regasification infrastructure.

Natural Gas in India

Natural gas is used in fertilisers, power generation, city gas distribution, and industrial fuel applications in India. LNG imports support domestic gas supply when pipeline production is lower than demand.