NLSIU Grad and former RIL (Oil & Gas Div.) Legal Head Naveen Raju joins Mahindra & Mahindra as General Counsel

Naveen Raju, Legal head of Oil and Gas division of Reliance Industries Limited has left the company to take up the role of General Counsel and Senior Vice President at Mahindra & Mahindra. It is understood that Naveen will be handling a team of 25 lawyers in the Mumbai corporate office.

Naveen confirmed his joining to Bar & Bench but declined to comment further.

Naveen replaces Nirmala Gill, who was heading the group’s legal services.

Naveen, a graduate of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore started his career at ACC in 1996 after which he moved to Crompton Greaves.

After a short stint at Crompton Greaves, he joined Reliance Industries Limited. At RIL, Naveen was Head Legal of its oil and gas business. He worked with RIL for almost 14 years leading the in-house legal team. He joined RIL when it was just setting up its Oil & Gas division and has been involved in the growth of the business since the beginning.

In his role as head of the legal department, he handled several big ticket transactions and high profile litigation including RIL’s multibillion dollar project for development of the KGD6 block, its Shale Gas investments in the US and sale of stake in its domestic business to BP.