India, Dec. 4 -- Arun Kumar Singh has been granted a rare one-year extension as chairman of ONGC, in signs that the government may have wanted continuity to consolidate the gains India's top oil and gas producer has made under his leadership. Singh, 63, will continue as the chairman of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) till December 6, 2026, according to an official order that cited a decision made by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In 2022, he became the first near-60 executive ever to be appointed chairman of a blue-chip PSU. Now, in another unprecedented move, his tenure will run until age 64.

Industry sources said Singh brought the much needed stability in management at ONGC, hel...