Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited has appointed Smt. Seema as an Independent Director on its Board of Directors. The appointment is effective from October 5, 2026, for a period of three years or until further orders, whichever is earlier.

The appointment was approved by the Appointment Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) and conveyed by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoP&NG), Government of India. This decision aligns with SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015, specifically Regulation 30(2) and Regulation 51(2).

Appointment details

Smt. Seema joins the board as a Non-official Director (NoD). The company confirmed that she is not debarred from holding office by any SEBI order or other authority. Additionally, she is not related to any existing directors of the company and meets the eligibility criteria under Section 164 of the Companies Act, 2013.

Professional background

Smt. Seema holds degrees in Arts, Law, and Education (BA, MA, LLB, B.Ed). She is an academician with 23 years of teaching experience. Her specialization spans Law, Management, and Social Service. The appointment underscores the government's focus on bringing diverse academic and legal expertise to public sector enterprise boards.

Mangalore Refinery & Petroleum secured a favorable ruling from the Karnataka High Court, which dismissed the tax department's appeal against a previous tribunal order regarding a ₹173.77 crore CENVAT credit dispute.

The court order, received on October 1, 2026, validates the company's entitlement to CENVAT credits on capital goods used in manufacturing plant and machinery embedded in the earth. The dispute originated from the department's denial of these credits on the grounds that such machinery constituted immovable property.

Dispute Timeline and Financial Impact

The litigation pertained to the period from April 2010 to December 2014. The total amount in contention was ₹1,73,76,67,082, inclusive of applicable interest and penalties. The High Court dismissed Appeal No. CEA 34/2024, thereby upholding the Customs, Excise and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (CESTAT) Bengaluru Order No. 20249/2024.

Regulatory Disclosure and Next Steps

Mangalore Refinery & Petroleum disclosed the event under Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. The company stated that no further action is required as the favorable CESTAT order had already negated any existing demand.

The filing confirmed there are no aberrations, non-compliances, penalties, or sanctions imposed pursuant to this communication. The legal victory concludes a multi-year regulatory challenge concerning the classification of embedded plant and machinery for indirect tax purposes.

What the Numbers Show

The dismissal of the appeal confirms that the financial liability of ₹173.77 crore remains extinguished for MRPL. Since the CESTAT order had previously ruled in favor of the company, the High Court's decision does not result in an immediate cash inflow but rather provides finality to the contingent liability disclosure for the April 2010 to December 2014 period.