Anand Mahindra lauds ONGC head Alka Mittal, says 'this is no ordinary achievement'

Anand Mahindra congratulated Alka Mittal on becoming the CMD of ONGC. (Image credit: File/ONGC)

Industrialist Anand Mahindra on Wednesday congratulated Alka Mittal on becoming the first woman to head oil company ONGC.

Mittal, who is the second woman in the country to head an oil company after Hindustan Petroleum's Nishi Vasudeva, is currently the director (HR) of the oil giant. But, she will get to keep her position for only six months or until a regular chairperson is hired, whichever is earlier. Her ascent though signifies the diversity in the male-dominated sector -- a point which Mahindra mentioned in his tweet.

Smashing through glass barriers in the oil industry. The leadership ranks of global oil majors have traditionally been infused with machismo. This is no ordinary achievement. Bravo Alka! I hope you are the forerunner of many more women CEOs of oil companies worldwide. https://t.co/T02NLDa6sC

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) January 5, 2022

Several Twitter users joined Anand Mahindra in applauding Mittal's achievement. Monika Jagota, an English lecturer in Delhi, tweeted, "She deserves a deafening applause. Women breaking through glass ceilings in all walks of life are super inspirational. Thank you Alka Mittal Ma’am for raising the bar."

G Ramesh, a retired professor from IIM Bangalore, wrote, "Excellent news. As big an achievement as becoming CEO of any MNC."

In December, Mahindra had lauded Shar Dubey, the Indian-origin Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Match Group, who has spoken out against the abortion law in Texas.

Mahindra said in his tweet that he had never heard of Dubey before. “Is she not often cited in the lists of global Indian-origin CEOs because the companies she leads are matchmaking sites?” he asked. "Tinder is the world’s most popular dating app. It’s a behemoth. She deserves to be in the spotlight.”

Dubey had featured in Forbes magazine’s list of most powerful women in 2021.