New Delhi: Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, former Chairperson of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) Ltd, India’s largest oil marketing company, was honoured at the Gulf Intelligence CEO Awards during the Energy Markets Forum. The recognition marks an important moment for India’s oil and gas sector, acknowledging Vaidya’s role in shaping Indian Oil’s expansion into clean fuels, energy efficiency and diversification.
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Alongside Vaidya, the event recognised a distinguished group of global energy leaders. The list included Arif Sultan Al Suwaidi, Chief Executive Officer of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC); Dr Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology and the UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change; Francesco La Camera, Director-General of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA); Alexey Miller, Chairman of Gazprom; and Saad Sherida Al-Kaabi, President and CEO of QatarEnergy. Together, they represented the breadth of global energy leadership spanning oil and gas, renewables and policy.
Vaidya, who was recognised in the “Refining” category, served Indian Oil during a period of profound change in the global energy market. Under his leadership, the company strengthened its downstream operations while also moving into new frontiers such as hydrogen, biofuels, electric mobility and renewables. His tenure was seen as a balancing act between ensuring India’s fuel security and aligning with the government’s broader climate and sustainability objectives.
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The Gulf Intelligence CEO Awards are considered significant because of the Gulf region’s central role in both traditional hydrocarbon supply and future clean energy investment. By recognising leaders from India, the UAE, Russia and Qatar alongside global renewable representatives, the awards highlighted the interconnected nature of the industry and the shared challenges of meeting rising energy demand while driving decarbonisation.