Indian oil and gas companies must become proactive and adopt innovative methods to build a robust workforce, it has been reported.

Dr Sujaya Banerjee states that there is a paucity of talent at both upstream and downstream levels.

"Given this, it is critical that we take charge and enhance the capabilities of the existing industry workforce by constant training," she tells the Economic Times.

It is "pivotal" that oil and gas workers are trained and re-trained because of the complex nature of the sector, adds Preeti Mathur, head of ONGC Academy.

She states that oil and gas training should be carried out across levels and functions.

With the technology currently available, the latest tools such as e-learning are "imperative", Ms Mathur comments, as they can reach remote workers.

Investing in training will give higher employee engagement and stronger employer branding and retention, Ms Banerjee concludes.

This week Reliance Industries Limited announced that it has overcome manpower challenges and started production of crude oil at the Krishna Godavari Basin.

Oil & Gas Directory: Training & Development