Kathmandu, April 6, 2017, In a historic moment, the  11-member ONGC Everest Expedition Team has embarked on to scale the Mount  Everest from Namchi Bazar, Nepal today. This is first time that a  corporate has taken a Mission to send a team to mount the highest peak of the  Earth.

Director T&FS and Director HR flagging off the ONGC Everest Expedition team at Namche bazaar

Earlier, Hon’ble Minister of State (I/C), Petroleum  & Natural Gas, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan flagged off the ONGC Everest  Expedition at a glittering ceremony held in Delhi on March 28. The kick off to  the Mission was attended by Director Technical & Field Services Mr Shashi  Shanker and Director- Human Resource Mr D.D. Misra.

The team comprises of Capt. S K Sangwan, Manager HR,  ONGC who is leading the 11 member contingent under the expert guidance of Padma  Shri Loveraj Singh Dharamshkatu, Asst Commandent- BSF, from Indian  Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). ONGC employees Dr Nitin Chawla, Senior Medical Officer, Dr Ritu Sharma, Senior Geologist, Monti Rajkhowa, EE (Prod), N Jagoi  AEE (Prod), Nirmal Kumar, EE (Mech), Prabhat Gaurav EE (Elect), Rahul Jarngal,  AEE(Instt), Santosh Singh, Senior Security Officer, Surender Tomar, AG-I, (Geo)  and Yogender Garbiyal, EE (Mech) are part of this expedition.

This is an attempt from ONGC, with a workforce of  33000, to prepare a team of youngsters who had little or no formal knowledge or  skills in mountaineering craft to attempt scale the highest peak on the Earth.  The genesis of ONGC’s Everest Expedition began about two years back in October 2015 when ONGC Everest successfully completed the trek to Everest Base Camp  (17000ft) with a team of 21 climbers. From here began a Mission to scale Mt.  Everest in 2017. Over 150 Everest aspirants underwent a strenuous selection  process before the final team for the Summit was identified. The entire  selection and training took nearly 15 months and had an eight stage elimination  process which tested the physical and mental endurance levels of the  participants. The entire team of ONGC has been trained for this herculean task  by experts from IMF.

Shri D D Misra, Director (HR), ONGC has been the  driving force behind this initiative, outlined various stages of training  programme those have been imparted to the participants in the expedition. He  said that out of over 150 employees, finally 11 have completed the stringent  eligibility criteria for this programme.

To celebrate this historic moment, ONGC invited top  officials from Indian High Commission Nepal, Department of Tourism, MoCTCA  Nepal, Nepal Tourism Board, Nepal Mountaineering Association, Nepal Expedition  Operators Association, Nepal Trekking Agencies Association, Himalayan Rescue Association, NMA Everest Chapter, Nepal Association of tour and Travel agents,  Himalayan Climate Initiative, Mountaineering Division of Nepal, for sharing the  thoughts behind this initiative.