Engineers India Limited (EIL)

Commemorative postage stamp of EIL (March 27, 2015)

India achieved independence from British rule on August 15, 1947. In the decade that followed (1947-1957), the newly formed Indian government undertook strenuous efforts to stabilize and advance the economy. Various sectors, from agriculture to heavy engineering, were targeted to foster self-reliance. The petroleum sector was no exception. At that time, Indian market was dominated by multinational corporations such as ESSO, Caltex, Burmah-Shell, etc. There was no domestic oil company to meet the demand of petroleum products of the country. Recognizing the strategic importance of the oil industry to national security, Indian government sought to dismantle the monopolistic control of these foreign entities. Consequently, significant attention was directed toward developing the Indian petroleum sector.

First Day Cover of EIL

In 1955, Keshav Dev Malviya, then the Petroleum Minister and often regarded as the father of the Indian petroleum industry, established the Oil and Gas Division within the Geological Survey of India. This division was soon reorganized into the Oil and Natural Gas Directorate under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Scientific Research. On August 14, 1956, it was elevated to the status of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission. Later it became Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.

In August 1958, the Government of India founded Indian Refineries Limited to oversee the construction of oil refineries and pipelines in independent India. Firoz Gandhi was appointed as the first Chairman of Indian Refineries Limited, serving from 1958 to 1960.

On February 18, 1959, Oil India Private Limited was incorporated, and by 1961, it had become a joint venture between the Government of India and Burmah Oil Company Limited.

The Information Brochure of EIL postage stamp

Another significant development occurred on June 30, 1959, with the incorporation of Indian Oil Company Limited under the Companies Act of 1956. This entity was tasked with marketing petroleum products to be produced by the refineries under construction by Indian Refineries Limited, in Guwahati and Barauni. S. Nijalingappa served as its first Chairman from 1959 to 1962, and B. Arora was its first Managing Director.

To streamline operations and enhance efficiency, Indian Refineries Limited was dissolved and merged with Indian Oil Company Limited in September 1964, forming Indian Oil Corporation Limited. This merger marked the birth of a fully Indian company, aimed at integrating the supply chain and optimising management practices with refining operations. P. A. Gopalakrishnan was appointed the first Chairman of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., serving from 1964 to 1966.

In the happening era of Indian hydrocarbon sector, the Government of India emphasized the development of domestic engineering services for the petroleum sector. 

On June 27, 1964, the Government of India and Bechtel International Corporation (BIC), USA, signed a Memorandum of Agreement. This was followed by a Formation Agreement on November 20, 1964. On March 15, 1965, under the Companies Act, a private limited company named Engineers India Private Limited was established.

In the year 1996, the government of India divested approximately 6% of its shareholding in the company. By May 1967, all agreements—including the Memorandum of Agreement, the Formation Agreement, and a Technical Services Agreement between Engineers India Private Limited and Bechtel Overseas Corporation (BOC) were terminated by mutual consent. This decision, reached through negotiations involving the Government of India (GOI), BIC, and BOC. This resulted in Engineers India Private Limited becoming a wholly-owned enterprise of the Government of India, christened as Engineers India Ltd. (EIL). The establishment of Engineers India Ltd. was part of the Government of India’s strategy to foster technological innovation within the domestic hydrocarbon sector through a home-grown entity. 

In June 1967, Engineers India Ltd. entered into new agreements with BOC and BIC to formally release all employees from any liabilities, obligations, or duties under the terminated agreements.

Autographed by the then C&MD, EIL

In 1965, Engineers India Ltd., made significant progress, with its consultancy and engineering services for Madras Refinery Ltd. (now Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd., a subsidiary of Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.). At that time, Madras Refinery Ltd. was a joint venture between the Government of India, AMOCO, and the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC).

In 1969, EIL entered into petrochemicals sector. It undertook aromatics and olefins projects of the then Indian Petrochemicals Corporation Ltd., (presently Reliance Industries Ltd.) at Baroda (now Vadodara).

After establishing a strong foundation in engineering and consultancy for the petroleum industry, Engineers India Ltd. expanded into defense technology and high-tech space engineering in 1974. The company began undertaking projects with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) and the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO).

The momentum of Engineers India Ltd. continued to grow as it advanced through various successful and challenging projects in both terrestrial and space domains. In 1979, the company ventured into deep water, taking on the significant task of designing, fabricating, and supervising the erection of Bombay High North (BHN), which was India's largest offshore processing platform at that time.

Autographed by the then Director (Finance)

In 1970, Engineers India Ltd. embarked on its first international assignment, marking the beginning of its global expansion. Since then, EIL has experienced continuous growth and now operates global inspection offices in London, Milan, Shanghai, and Russia. The company has successfully implemented critical project assignments across a diverse range of locations, including Abu Dhabi (ADCO and GASCO), Algeria (SONATRACH), Bangladesh (Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation), Iran (PIDMCO), Kenya (Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd.), Kuwait (Technimont), Nigeria (Dangote Oil Refining Company), Mongolia (Mongol Refinery State Owned LLC), Oman (Oman Refineries and Petroleum Industries Company) etc.

Engineers India Ltd. made its mark in various sectors, including the fertilizer industry in 1971 and metallurgy in 1972. By 1976, the company expanded its scope to include cross-country underground pipeline projects for transporting petroleum oil and natural gas.

In 1989, Engineers India Ltd. made a significant investment in its future by establishing its own state-of-the-art Research and Development Centre in Gurugram, Haryana. This facility represented a substantial commitment of funds, technology, and talent, further strengthening EIL’s capabilities and innovative edge.

A visit to R&D Centre of EIL

Certification Engineers International Ltd. (CEIL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Engineers India Ltd. Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) is a joint venture company among Engineers India Ltd. (EIL), National Fertilizers Limited (NFL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCIL). It also holds 4.37% stake in Numaligarh Refinery Ltd., in Assam.

TEIL Projects Ltd., is another joint venture with Tata Projects Ltd. In international arena. Engineers India Ltd. has formed another joint venture with Jabal Dhahran of Saudi Arabia and IOT Infrastructure and Energy Ltd. of India to form Jabal EILIOT Co. Ltd. The objective is to explore the business opportunities in petroleum and infrastructure sectors in Saudi Arabia.

Training Centre of EIL, Gurugram, Haryana

As a part of celebration of glorious 50 years of service to the nation, a commemorative postage stamp of Engineers India Limited was issued by the Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications & IT. The stamp was released by Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India on March 27, 2015 during the event Urja Sangam 2015 organized by Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The stamp and First Day Cover were designed by Brahm Prakash. The cancellation design was credited to Alka Sharma. A total 0.65 million stamps were printed at Security Printing Press, Hyderabad. 

A letter received from EIL bearing EIL stamp (used through post)

The momentum of progress by Engineers India Limited continues unabated. Today, Engineers India Limited stands as a premier design, engineering, procurement and constructions (EPC) management firm under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India. Though Engineers India Limited is providing services primarily focused on petroleum and petrochemical industries in India and abroad, it has left its indelible footprints in the other sectors like infrastructure, fertilizer, solar power, biofuels, nuclear energy, water management, waste management, to quote a few. 

Ms. Vartika Shukla at an international conference of petroleum industry

Leading this prestigious organization is Ms. Vartika Shukla, who assumed the role of Chairman and Managing Director in 2021. She is the first woman to hold this position at EIL and has been with the company for 32 years.

Ms. Vartika Shukla was putting autograph on EIL First Day Cover

Ms. Shukla earned her B. Tech in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, in 1988. That same year, she joined EIL as a management trainee in the Process Division. Through her unwavering dedication, commitment, hard work, and exceptional leadership, she has ascended from her initial trainee role to the esteemed position of Chairman and Managing Director.

Proud display of collection

In recognition of her significant contributions to both the industry and to the nation, she has received several prestigious awards, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Kanpur (2021), the Woman Executive Award from PETROFED, the SCOPE Excellence Award, and the MoP&NG Innovation Award, among others. 

Autographed by Ms. Vartika Shukla

Under her able leadership, Engineers India Limited continues to march ahead. It has emerged one of the leading EPC companies in South Asia. This year (2024), this Navratna public sector undertaking is celebrating its Diamond Jubilee (60 years) of serving the nation. Many more miles to go for this amazing organization.

Bibliography:

https://engineersindia.com/

https://cpcl.co.in/

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/engineers-india-ltd/infocompanyhistory/companyid-4582.cms

https://www.pib.gov.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=117778

Acknowledgement: Ms. Vartika Shukla, C&MD, Engineers India Limited

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