A prolonged gas leak at an ONGC well in Assam has forced the evacuation of 70 families and impacted approximately 1,500 locals. The incident, which started on June 12, 2025, has persisted for several days, prompting ONGC's crisis management team led by Director Vikram Saxena to take control of the situation. The event raises serious concerns over operational safety and community impact.

Employees at ONGC Assam Asset have staged an indefinite sit-in at the company's head office in Nazira since May 21, 2025, demanding the restart of the recruitment process, restoration of overtime allowances, regularization of temporary staff, and improved safety measures. The protest highlights concerns over the company outsourcing work and halting local employment opportunities.

On March 12, 2025, a hydrogen sulphide gas leak at ONGC's Kesanapalli gas collection station in Andhra Pradesh resulted in injuries to workers and a local child, highlighting repeated safety protocol breaches and poor maintenance. The incident has drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups for endangering worker and community wellbeing.

ONGC, a state-run oil and gas corporation, was identified as one of 41 companies that donated electoral bonds to the BJP under the controversial SBI scheme, raising concerns about corporate involvement in political funding. The donation came to light amid probes by agencies like the CBI, ED, and IT, which adds to broader worries about the influence of corporate money in politics.

A Global Witness investigation reports that ONGC, as a junior partner in South Sudan oil joint ventures, is helping generate oil revenue that may be financing abuses and human rights violations, potentially contributing to war crimes. The Council of Ethics has warned that ONGC risks being complicit in severe atrocities by working alongside actors tied to extreme violence.

In September 2021, Norges Bank excluded ONGC from its investment portfolio due to its alleged ties to groups accused of systematic human rights violations in South Sudan.

A 2019 report by The Wire revealed that ONGC has allocated part of its CSR funds to projects with strong political overtones, including initiatives linked to the BJP and RSS. This approach integrates corporate social responsibility with politically charged projects such as funding for yoga, Sanskrit promotion, and heritage-related projects in key nationalist constituencies, effectively signaling support for an authoritarian nationalist agenda.