The Public Enterprises Selection Board of the Indian Government has recently put out advertisements for the post of Chairman & Managing Director of the Government-owned operator Pawan Hans.  The current Chairman & Managing Director Anil Srivastava, who has 29 years experience in various Government roles, and has been in office just short of two and a half years.  PESB is seeking candidates of at least 45 years old for a new term of five years.

Srivastava’s appointment in March 2012 was not without local controversy as he also holds the offices of Joint Secretary in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Commissioner of Security for Civil Aviation, and was not seen as sufficiently independent to take the Pawan Hans role.  In February 2013 there were reports that Sanjiv Bahl was going to be promoted at Pawan Hans from Executive Director to be the new Chairman & Managing Director, but that did not happen.

Pawan Hans is 51% owned directly by the Indian Government and 49% by ONGC Oil & Natural Gas Corporation.  In turn, ONGC is 84.11% owned by the Indian Government

Jeremy Parkin – HeliHub.com