State-owned Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited has announced the appointment of Subhankar Sen as its new Director (Marketing). Sen succeeds in the role after more than 30 years with the BPCL in various leadership capacities.
BPCL, an entity under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, said Sen’s appointment comes at a time when the company is focusing on digital transformation and energy transition. His responsibilities will include overseeing retail, lubricants, brand, loyalty and marketing strategy across the organisation.
Sen has previously served as Business Head – Retail (West), where he led changes across the company’s fuel station operations. According to BPCL, his tenure included the launch of BeCafe, a café format introduced at select outlets as part of its non-fuel retailing initiatives.
In the lubricants division, BPCL said Sen played a key role in expanding its MAK Lubricants brand in international markets including Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the UAE and several African countries. The company also said he led a localisation initiative for lubricant products aligned with the Indian government’s Atmanirbhar Bharat programme.
BPCL credited Sen with developing the MAK Lubricants Solutions programme, which the company said is aimed at helping customers lower total cost of ownership and improve operational efficiency.
He has also been involved in several brand and loyalty programmes at BPCL. According to the company, Sen contributed to the rollout of initiatives such as ‘Pure for Sure’, the Speed fuel brand, the PetroBonus and SmartFleet loyalty schemes, and the BPCL-SBI co-branded card. He also worked on BPCL’s retail store formats including In&Out, and more recently, UFill, a digital fuel payment platform.
In addition, BPCL said Sen has worked on partnerships across sectors such as banking, retail, food services and automotive, with a focus on customer engagement and market positioning.
Sen served as Oil Industry Coordinator during which, the company said, he was involved in implementing parts of the government’s clean mobility agenda. This included Doorstep Diesel Delivery services and BPCL’s eDrive initiative, which is developing EV fast-charging infrastructure on highways.
His appointment as Director (Marketing) follows a period of organisational restructuring within BPCL. The company is in the midst of expanding its focus beyond fossil fuels, in line with broader energy transition targets. As Director, Sen will be part of the board-level leadership team.
BPCL said Sen is recognised internally for his people-oriented leadership and ability to navigate operational shifts in response to market trends.
BPCL operates across refining, marketing and distribution of petroleum products in India. It is also engaged in developing renewable energy assets and electric mobility infrastructure, and has previously announced investment plans in biofuels and hydrogen technologies.
