INDIAN OIL CORPORATION LTD.

The first employer, a Fortune 500 company. 

1982

In the final year of his engineering course, the young man faced a challenging family situation. His brother was also in his final year of graduation, and in February 1982, their father retired from Indian Railways. With his retirement, the family had to vacate the railway quarters, and they had no house to move into. The father's meager pension was their only source of income, and with two adult sons still students, the future seemed uncertain.

Despite these hardships, the young man dreamed of pursuing an MBA, although it felt unattainable at the time. Additionally, his engineering college did not offer campus recruitment opportunities, at that time. One morning, he and his hostel mates noticed an advertisement in the local English daily: Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. was recruiting officer trainees.

Determined to seize this opportunity, he began the meticulous process of applying. This involved collecting and filling out the application form, attaching a passport-sized photograph, visiting the bank to buy a demand draft, and finally sending the application, along with the draft and other required testimonials, by registered post to the specified address. 

However, there was a practical challenge: sending applications by registered mail was expensive, especially for students surviving on limited pocket money. To overcome this, the hostel students devised a clever strategy. They pooled all their application envelopes into a large envelope, and one person would take this collective package to the post office. This method not only reduced the individual postage cost but also ensured that their seat allocations for the written test would be in sequence. Truly, necessity is the mother of invention!

Afterwards, he received the call letter no. C/CH/5106, reference no. P/1121/223, dated October 7, 1982. He, along with his roommate and other classmates, were called for a written test at a famous girl’s school in South Calcutta (now Kolkata). Compared to today’s scenario, the preparation is not so elaborate. At that time, one small booklet was available in the market on Chemical Engineering MCQ-type questions and answers. He read the book thoroughly and, equipped with all his knowledge on the subject, appeared in the written examination.

Nearly two months later, an interview call letter no. P/1121/223 dated December 21/27 1982, was delivered in the letter box of his hostel. Group discussion was not in existence during that era. On receipt of the letter, the prospect appeared to brighten up. The interview was scheduled for February 1, 1983, and was held at the Eastern Region office of Indian Oil at Air Conditioned Market, Theatre Road (now renamed as Shakespeare Sarani) in Kolkata. Shri Baquaya (even after forty years, he is remembered because of his tall stature and fair complexion) was on the interview board, along with others. 

One of the interesting parts of the question-and-answer session needs to be mentioned here. He was asked about the products of Indian Oil, and his response took the interview board by surprise.

He replied, ‘Petrol, diesel, kerosene, LSHS, etc.’

Probably the board was not expecting to hear ‘LSHS’ and hence he was asked to tell the full form of LSHS.

He quipped with confidence, ‘Low Sulphur Heavy Stock’.

The secret must be shared here. Before the interview, he had interacted with a few seniors of the college who were already on the payroll of Indian Oil. Their brotherly guidance had helped him sail smoothly across the interview board.

Once the interview was over, it was time to wait and watch with bated breath. On a sunny afternoon, the postman delivered the much-awaited appointment letter no. P/1121/223 dated February 15, 1983. Indian Oil Corporation Ltd., had asked him to join the great organisation as an Officer Trainee.

There was something more in the store. Before joining, he received another letter, no. P/1121/223, dated February 28, 1983, in which the company informed him that there would be an upward revision of the pay scale. He was on cloud nine.

On March 28, 1983, he joined Indian Oil as an Officer Trainee at the Kolkata office. The first place of posting was at Barauni, District Begusarai, Bihar, where one of the refineries of Indian Oil was located.