Rahul Dhir, CEO Cairn India

What did you feel when oil first flowed from the field?
I was surprised at what an emotional moment it was for me. Not just for me. Afterwards everyone I spoke to said that they were overwhelmed when they watched the Prime Minister turn the wheel and watched the oil beginning to flow and flare lit up. It is not a new event for anyone who has been in this industry. When I was an engineer, this was my life everyday – in Mexico, in Colorado for two and half years – I saw this happen everyday. But this had a profound meaning for all of us – it was the culmination of the collective endeavours of the last three and half years. Collectively for all of us, it was a very emotional moment; very powerful, very special. 

How does it compare with when your team first discovered oil?
I was not here when oil was first discovered. The rush of discovery is equally significant, my colleagues tell me. They didn’t realise it was such a big discovery – that came later, in subsequent assessments. We didn’t appreciate the scale of the discovery to begin with. 

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