Keshav Dev Malviya

Keshav Dev Malaviya (1904–1981) was a leader of Indian National Congress and a union minister of India. He was a member of Lok Sabha from Domariyaganj, Uttar Pradesh. Founder of ONGC, Shri KD Malaviya ji is beyond a shadow of any doubt, the unqualified father of the hydrocarbon sector of this country. Undeterred by strong western skepticism about the viability or, even the potential, of the country’s hydrocarbon capabilities which was largely a propaganda driven by the western oil companies, Mr. Malaviya, the original one among the rich lineage of visionaries of the country’s oil & gas industry of which there has been quite a few, was undaunted in his vision and unrelenting in his pursuit of a country that was energy-secure. However, with support from Jawaharlal Nehru, Malaviya launched a crusade for the formation of a national oil company with formation of ONGC in 1956. In fact, most of what Mr. Malaviya achieved, with the unstinted support of Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, in those early days of Nehru’s national project of modernizing the nation and making it industrially competent has, over the years, provided and continues to provide a strong foundation to the economic success story that India is today.

His commitment to India's progress for gaining self-reliance in energy sector was a shining example of the patriotism for the younger generation and a source of strength to the scientific community. Clear in his thoughts and supremely purposeful in his action, he was an inspiration for the younger generation of that era to come together in the hunt to find oil and secure the country’s future.