Praveen M. Khanooja given additional charge as CMD of Engineers India Limited

The Government of India has assigned Praveen M. Khanooja the additional charge of Chairman & Managing Director (CMD) of Engineers India Limited (EIL), effective from 1 March 2026, as part of a leadership transition following the superannuation of the outgoing CMD, Vartika Shukla. The decision was approved by the Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) and conveyed through the ministry, positioning Khanooja as the interim head of the state‑owned engineering and consultancy PSU.
Khanooja, a 1994‑batch officer of the Indian Audit and Accounts Service (IA&AS), currently serves as Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He holds a B.Tech in Chemical Engineering and an M.Tech in Management & Systems, and has accumulated decades of experience across defence audit, railways audit, state‑government accounts and audit, and central‑finance roles. His background blends technical‑domain knowledge with deep exposure to public‑sector finance, compliance, and performance‑audit at both national and international levels.
Under the current order, Khanooja will hold the additional charge of CMD for three months, or until the appointment of a regular CMD, or until further orders from the government, whichever occurs earlier. During this interim period, he is expected to provide continuity in EIL’s project execution, capital‑expenditure planning, and client‑engagement in the petroleum, refining, and energy‑infrastructure segments, while the government and the company work towards identifying a permanent CMD.
Engineers India has also informed the BSE and NSE of the change in directorship in line with the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, reinforcing the transparency of the leadership‑transition process. Market and industry watchers view Khanooja’s appointment—an officer with strong audit, finance, and ministry‑side experience—as a signal that the government intends to maintain close oversight of EIL’s operations, especially at a time when the company continues to play a strategic role in designing and executing large‑scale oil, gas, and energy‑infrastructure projects.