In a strategic leadership movement within India’s public sector energy landscape, state-run Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) has appointed Deepali Masirkar, a 2008-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer, as its Executive Director (Security). Masirkar officially assumed charge as Executive Director-Chief Security on October 28, following the superannuation of Sanjay Kumar Singh, who served as Executive Director until November 1, 2026. Her tenure extends until May 3, 2029, or until further orders from the government, whichever is earlier.
According to reports from PSU Watch, Masirkar was serving as a Director under the Ministry of Tribal Affairs—where she monitored developmental programs for tribal communities—before her tenure was curtailed to facilitate her transition to ONGC. Her academic and professional repertoire includes a Bachelor of Science from St Francis College (Osmania University), an LLB from Mumbai University, and a Master of Public Administration in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Her prior assignments span key roles at the Election Commission of India (ECI) from May 2022 to January 2025, over six years of service in Nagaland across multiple command roles, and inter-cadre deputation in Maharashtra Police handling economic offences and cybercrime.
Energy Asset Infrastructure and Operational Scale
As a Maharatna enterprise, ONGC forms the backbone of India’s domestic energy infrastructure. The company accounts for approximately 71% of the country’s domestic crude oil and natural gas production. The raw crude oil and gas extracted from ONGC’s offshore and onshore basins serve as vital feedstocks for state-owned downstream refiners, including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).
These downstream entities process the unrefined crude into essential petroleum derivatives—ranging from retail transport fuels like petrol and diesel to industrial inputs like naphtha, kerosene, and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). Given the vast geographical spread of ONGC’s extraction wells, offshore rigs, processing terminals, and supply pipelines, safeguarding these physical assets from theft, vandalism, cyber threats, and operational disruption is critical to preserving national energy security.
The Indirect Tax Architecture: Crude Oil and Petroleum Derivatives
The appointment of a seasoned security executive at ONGC highlights an often-underestimated structural reality: energy security directly underpins fiscal security and indirect tax stability. In India’s tax framework, petroleum products occupy a unique dual architecture. Key upstream commodities—namely crude oil and natural gas—alongside refined retail fuels like motor spirit (petrol), high-speed diesel, aviation turbine fuel, and natural gas, remain outside the Goods and Services Tax (GST) net. Instead, they continue to be governed by Central Excise Duties levied by the Union Government and Value Added Tax (VAT) imposed by individual State Governments.
Conversely, non-fuel derivatives produced during refining, such as naphtha, petrochemical feedstocks, and lubricants, fall directly under the GST regime, attracting standard GST rate slabs. This split creates significant operational and compliance complexities. Downstream refineries purchase crude oil that is subject to specific crude oil cesses and royalties, process it using capital machinery and operational inputs that incur 18% or 28% GST, and output a mix of GST-exempt and GST-taxable products.
For a detailed breakdown of how retail fuel taxation interacts with regional levies, consult our analysis on Global Fuel Price Comparison: Examining India’s Retail Rates, Regional VAT Disparities, and Indirect Tax Frameworks.
Stranded Input Tax Credits and Upstream Revenue Leaks
Because crude oil and natural gas are non-GST goods, upstream producers like ONGC face substantial input tax credit (ITC) blockages. When ONGC procures specialized hardware, deep-water drilling services, offshore logistics, or cybersecurity surveillance equipment to protect its installation network, it pays standard GST on those input services. However, because its primary output (crude oil) is exempt from GST and subject to Central Excise and state royalties instead, the GST paid on input procurement cannot be seamlessly cross-utilized against output tax liabilities.
This tax cascading creates an embedded cost layer within domestic energy production. Any disruption in physical extraction—whether through pilferage, pipeline tapping, or physical sabotage—compounds these financial losses. Unaccounted loss of crude oil not only damages operational throughput but also results in non-recoverable tax leakages across Central Excise, state royalties, and downstream VAT collections.
Robust physical security managed by specialized personnel reduces physical crude loss and transit theft. By guaranteeing that every barrel extracted reaches refiners like IOC, BPCL, and HPCL without interruption, energy security protects the integrity of tax bases across both central excise collections and regional VAT revenues.
Fiscal Impact on Macro Revenue Collections
Fluctuations in domestic crude supply directly alter India’s import reliance and macro-fiscal metrics. When domestic production drops, refiners must increase imports of foreign crude oil, triggering high customs duty outflows and worsening the trade deficit. Maintaining reliable domestic production yields predictable tax receipts for central and state exchequers.
Furthermore, broader indirect tax collections closely track industrial output and fuel consumption trends. Strong macroeconomic production supported by stable energy supplies correlates with sustained growth in national GST yields. For more on national tax trajectories, read our insight on FY27 Net GST Collections Surge 25.6% to ₹2.03 Trillion: Import Dynamics, Refund Frameworks, and Compliance Imperatives.
Cybersecurity, Economic Crimes, and Enforcement Expertise
Deepali Masirkar’s extensive policing background provides relevant institutional experience for managing ONGC’s complex physical and cyber footprint. During her tenure with the Maharashtra Police between 2014 and 2019, she served as Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) in Nagpur and Mumbai, overseeing law and order, crime prevention, economic offences, and cybercrime divisions. Modern energy infrastructure faces sophisticated threats, including digital security breaches and financial fraud.
Additionally, during her assignment as Director at the Election Commission of India from May 2022 to January 2025, she headed the Election Planning, Accessibility and Inclusion Division, overseeing territorial operations in complex regions such as Uttar Pradesh and Manipur, as well as playing a role in managing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Her administrative governance experience across inter-governmental departments will be instrumental in aligning security compliance with tax and statutory frameworks across multi-state operational zones.
Conclusion
The appointment of Deepali Masirkar as ONGC’s Executive Director (Security) highlights the interconnections between public-sector leadership, physical asset protection, and macro-fiscal stability. By ensuring the security of infrastructure that accounts for 71% of India’s domestic oil and gas output, leadership at ONGC helps protect vital energy supply chains. In turn, stable supply chains safeguard excise, VAT, and GST revenue streams that support national fiscal balance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Deepali Masirkar, a 2008-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Nagaland cadre, has been appointed as the Executive Director (Security) of ONGC.
Deepali Masirkar assumed charge on October 28, and her tenure continues until May 3, 2029, or until further orders are issued by the government, whichever is earlier.
She succeeded Sanjay Kumar Singh, who served as Executive Director until November 1, 2026.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree from St Francis College (affiliated with Osmania University), an LLB degree from Mumbai University, and a Master of Public Administration in International Political Economy from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
ONGC accounts for approximately 71% of India's domestic crude oil and natural gas production.
Crude oil extracted by ONGC is supplied to downstream refiners including Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL).
