Abhishek Trivedi on Monday assumed charge as the Executive Director In-charge of the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) Visakh Refinery.

A seasoned professional with decades of service in the downstream oil and gas sector, Mr. Trivedi brings extensive expertise across major functional areas including project management, plant maintenance, rigorous technical inspection, and business excellence. Over his long career with HPCL, he has held several pivotal leadership positions, steering high-value projects and driving operational efficiency across various company formations.

As the new head of the Visakh Refinery, Mr. Trivedi will oversee operations at a critical juncture for the facility. His focus areas will include maximizing operational efficiency, strengthening workplace safety protocols, advancing green and sustainable initiatives, fostering innovation, and deepening engagement with local and industrial stakeholders.

Originally commissioned in 1957 by Caltex Oil Refining India with a modest capacity of 0.675 million metric tonnes per annum (MMTPA), the Visakh Refinery holds the distinction of being the first oil refinery on India’s eastern coast. The Government of India nationalised the facility in 1976, subsequently amalgamating it into HPCL in 1978.

Over the decades, the coastal refining complex has undergone phased modernisations to keep pace with India’s growing energy demands, climbing from its initial capacity to 4.5 MMTPA in 1985, 7.5 MMTPA in 1999, and 8.3 MMTPA in 2010 to comply with cleaner Euro-III and Euro-IV fuel standards.

Mr. Trivedi takes the helm following the landmark integration of the Visakh Refinery Modernisation Project (VRMP), which nearly doubled the plant’s overall capacity to a robust 15 MMTPA. The crown jewel of this massive expansion was the commissioning of India’s first Residue Upgradation Facility featuring advanced LC-Max technology.