New Delhi: Ayush Gupta, Director (HR), GAIL, participated in a panel discussion on “How Can Young Energy Professionals Maximise Career Longevity?” as part of the Future Leaders programme series at Gastech 2026.
The session brought together energy industry leaders and experts from India, Indonesia, the US, Singapore and Nigeria to discuss how young professionals can build resilient and future-ready careers amid rapid technological and structural changes in the energy sector.
The panel included Amri Siahaan, Director & COO, MedcoEnergi, Indonesia; Dena Wiggins, President & CEO, Natural Gas Supply Association, USA; Dr. Wendy Tan, Managing Partner, The Flame Centre, Singapore; and Engr. Tolulope Longe, Manager – Contracts, Procurement & Management, Nigeria.
Panel Explores Future of Energy Careers
The discussion focused on the skills and approaches young energy professionals need to sustain long-term careers in an industry undergoing significant transformation.
Key areas discussed included:
- Continuous learning and professional development
- Energy transition
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) and digital capabilities
- Research and innovation
- Networking and mentorship
- Career mobility
- Cross-functional assignments
- Organisational culture
- Transferable and multidisciplinary skills
The panel emphasised that career longevity is increasingly linked to the ability to continuously learn, adapt to changing technologies and create value across different roles.
Read also: GAIL CMD Deepak Gupta Highlights Flexible LNG Sourcing and Trading Strategy at Gastech 2026
Ayush Gupta Shares Career Transition Experience
Gupta shared insights from his own professional journey, which included a transition from engineering and technical operations to Human Resources.
He explained how taking on an unfamiliar role, continuously learning and developing new capabilities helped him navigate the transition successfully.
His decision to pursue an MBA in Human Resources at around the age of 50 was highlighted as an example of how professional learning and development can continue at different stages of a career.
The experience reinforced the broader message that professionals should remain open to new roles and opportunities to acquire skills, irrespective of where they are in their careers.
Building Domain Depth Along With Broader Skills
The panel highlighted the importance of developing depth in a chosen area of expertise while gradually building broader capabilities through cross-functional and lateral assignments.
Participants discussed how professionals can benefit from gaining exposure to different functions while maintaining strong domain knowledge.
The discussion also highlighted the growing importance of combining technical and domain expertise with digital, data and AI capabilities as technology increasingly influences the energy sector.
AI, Research and Innovation Gain Importance
With the energy industry undergoing technological transformation, the panel also discussed the growing relevance of Artificial Intelligence, data-driven capabilities, research and innovation.
The participants emphasised the need for professionals to develop transferable skills that can remain relevant as technologies, business models and organisational requirements evolve.
The role of PhD scholars and researchers was also discussed, particularly in addressing genuine industry challenges through research and innovation.
Mentorship and Networking Can Support Career Growth
The panel underlined the importance of building professional networks and finding mentors who can provide guidance during different stages of a career.
Young professionals were encouraged to remain curious, seek opportunities to learn from experienced colleagues and take ownership of their career development.Mentorship was also highlighted as an important component of helping employees navigate new responsibilities and understand different career opportunities.
Organisations Have Role in Developing Future Talent
The discussion also examined how organisations can contribute to building future-ready talent.
Participants highlighted several approaches, including:
- Providing meaningful work assignments
- Offering continuous training and development
- Creating mentorship opportunities
- Giving employees autonomy
- Encouraging ownership of real business challenges
- Supporting cross-functional exposure
- Creating a culture that encourages learning and innovation
The panel noted that organisations can help employees develop capabilities by giving them opportunities to work on real-world challenges rather than relying only on conventional training programmes.
Career Longevity Requires Continuous Learning
The overarching message from the session was that career longevity is a continuous journey of learning, adaptability and sustained value creation.
As the energy sector undergoes technological and structural transformation, young professionals were encouraged to build strong domain expertise while developing broader capabilities in areas such as digital technology, data and AI.
The panel also encouraged professionals to stay curious, seek mentorship, embrace unfamiliar opportunities and take greater ownership of their long-term career development.
About GAIL
GAIL (India) Limited is a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Government of India and one of India’s leading natural gas companies. Its operations span natural gas transmission and marketing, LPG transmission, petrochemicals, city gas distribution and renewable and clean-energy initiatives. GAIL operates a large natural gas pipeline network and plays an important role in India’s gas-based energy infrastructure.
