New Delhi: Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Limited, is proud to support three top Indian para-athletes in their mission to win accolades for the country, at the upcoming Asian Para Games 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia. The three athletes – Sundar Singh Gurjar, Shatabdi Avasthi, and Sandeep Maan are part of the contingent that will represent India at the games. Cairn, under its Project Divyang, has been supporting these athletes with grants to cover, coaching and special training, health and nutrition, travel, sporting gear, and incentives for exceptional performances.

Inclusion is a guiding principle at Cairn, and Project Divyang aims to raise awareness on para-sports and work towards inclusion for the differently-abled. Promoting para-sports will help transform attitudes by breaking down social barriers, eliminating discrimination towards the differently-abled, and showcase the resilience and effort of the para athletes.

Sudhir Mathur, CEO, Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Limited, said, “I believe sports is a great leveler, and competitive sport is a manifestation of human strength and resilience. At Cairn, we believe in inclusion, and our support to these athletes is an extension of our values. We are extremely proud of them for winning accolades for India at national and international events. They are proof that “differently-abled” does not mean “less able”.”

“We wish them great success at the upcoming Asian Para Games and hope that they will continue to succeed in the future as well”, he added.

Sundar Singh Gurjar is a record-setting, paralympic javelin thrower, shot putter, and discus thrower, who has already been throwing past the world record; Sandeep Singh Maan competes in track & field events in the 100m, 200m and 400m categories; while Shatabdi Awasthi competes in javelin and shot put events.

Cairn has a significant presence and operations in Rajasthan, and has chosen to sponsor these athletes from Rajasthan as part of its community projects for the region. Besides employing more than 7,000 people in the state, the business has directly had a significant socio-economic impact in the region evidenced by a more than 650% growth in per capita incomes, better access to basics like healthcare, education, skill development, and on several other indices.

Beyond business, Cairn is deeply invested in corporate social responsibility projects across 166 villages in water conservation, providing safe drinking water access, advanced farming, grazing land development, skill development, sanitation and hygiene.

About Cairn Oil & Gas

Cairn Oil & Gas, a vertical of Vedanta Limited, is one of the largest independent oil and gas exploration and production companies in India, accounting for more than a quarter of India’s domestic crude oil production. It has a world-class resource base, with a current interest in 46 blocks in India, including the newly awarded 41 blocks under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) Round I auction. In 2004, Cairn made the largest onshore discovery in more than two decades in Mangala, Rajasthan. In its operations of 20 years, Cairn has opened 4 frontier basins with numerous discoveries; 38 in Rajasthan alone.

Cairn is part of the Vedanta Resources Limited, the world’s sixth largest diversified natural resources conglomerate with interest in oil and gas, zinc-lead-silver, copper, iron ore, aluminium, and commercial power. The company has a presence across India, South Africa, Namibia, Australia, and Ireland. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta’s strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment, and on enhancing the lives of local communities. The company has been conferred the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) “Sustainable Plus Platinum” label and ranks among the top 10 most sustainable companies in India.