Cairn Plans $4 Bn Investment in Upstream Ventures over Next 3-4 Years

17 Feb 2025 CW Team

Cairn holds a substantial portfolio of onshore blocks and is actively working to expand its presence in offshore regions by acquiring more deepwater blocks. The company aims to contribute 50 per cent of India’s domestic energy production, doubling its current contribution of 25 per cent. Cairn’s portfolio consists of 62 blocks covering an area of 60,000 square kilometre, with five blocks under production and the rest in the exploration phase.

Cairn is in the process of demerging from its parent company, Vedanta, to become a separately listed entity. The oil and gas business is self-funded, with approximately 40 per cent of Vedanta’s total capital expenditure allocated to Cairn.

The company is also targeting the Northeast region of India for future growth, with significant potential identified in its onshore blocks. Cairn plans to commence production from at least two to three wells in this region in the fiscal year 2025-26.

With recent amendments to the Oilfields Regulation and Development Act, Cairn anticipates increased participation from foreign players in the Indian upstream market, potentially partnering in its hydrocarbon blocks. Additionally, the company is addressing output decline from matured fields, particularly in Rajasthan, where it has already produced around 800 million barrels and aims to extract up to 55 per cent of the estimated 2.2 billion barrels.

Cairn is also diversifying into coal bed methane exploration, having acquired a CBM block with operations set to commence within the next eight to ten months.

News source: Financial Express

Cairn Oil and Gas, a division of the Vedanta Group, plans to invest $3-4 billion in the upstream sector over the next three to four years to expand its business and drive growth. In the previous year, the company invested approximately $400 million in its fields, wells, and expansion activities. The upcoming investments will focus on initiatives such as Alkaline-Surfactant-Polymer (ASP) flooding expansion, tight oil projects, deepwater exploration, and shale development. Cairn holds a substantial portfolio of onshore blocks and is actively working to expand its presence in offshore regions by acquiring more deepwater blocks. The company aims to contribute 50 per cent of India’s domestic energy production, doubling its current contribution of 25 per cent. Cairn’s portfolio consists of 62 blocks covering an area of 60,000 square kilometre, with five blocks under production and the rest in the exploration phase. Cairn is in the process of demerging from its parent company, Vedanta, to become a separately listed entity. The oil and gas business is self-funded, with approximately 40 per cent of Vedanta’s total capital expenditure allocated to Cairn. The company is also targeting the Northeast region of India for future growth, with significant potential identified in its onshore blocks. Cairn plans to commence production from at least two to three wells in this region in the fiscal year 2025-26. With recent amendments to the Oilfields Regulation and Development Act, Cairn anticipates increased participation from foreign players in the Indian upstream market, potentially partnering in its hydrocarbon blocks. Additionally, the company is addressing output decline from matured fields, particularly in Rajasthan, where it has already produced around 800 million barrels and aims to extract up to 55 per cent of the estimated 2.2 billion barrels. Cairn is also diversifying into coal bed methane exploration, having acquired a CBM block with operations set to commence within the next eight to ten months. News source: Financial Express

Infrastructure Urban

14 May 2026

Maharashtra Clears Rs 317.93 Bn For Virar Alibaug Corridor

Maharashtra has granted administrative approval for phase one of the 14-lane Virar-Alibaug Multi-Modal Transport Corridor, an access-controlled route to improve connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and link the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, Navi Mumbai International Airport and the Mumbai Trans Harbour Link. The first phase spans 126.06 km and is estimated at Rs 317.93 billion. The Urban Development Department lists the construction cost at Rs 215.34 billion. The alignment is proposed through 104 villages across Vasai, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Ambernath, Panvel, Uran, Pen and Alibaug..

Infrastructure Urban

14 May 2026

Gurugram To Control Streetlights Via Mobile App

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram has announced a mobile app based system to operate and monitor the city streetlighting network as part of a smart city upgrade. The initiative will bring 0.112 million streetlights under digital control, replacing the previous practice in which workers manually switched lights across different sectors. The programme is intended to improve maintenance efficiency and strengthen the digital infrastructure of the city. The move aligns with broader urban digitalisation efforts in the region. The platform will allow officials to operate the streetlights remotely..

Technology

14 May 2026

Ahmedabad Plans Singapore Style Artificial Intelligence Indoor Garden

Ahmedabad will host a proposed Singapore style indoor garden on the Sabarmati Riverfront, a project unveiled at the Vibrant Gujarat regional conference by Simon Wong. The proposal, modelled on Singapore's Gardens by the Bay, aims to blend architecture, ecology and technology to create a year-round attraction. Organisers positioned the scheme as part of broader smart city and tourism ambitions for the region. The project is planned as a climate-controlled dome designed to recreate a tropical forest environment with artificial rain simulation, immersive fog and dense tropical plantations. Advanc..