Gurugram, Haryana, India, January 2026 — Cairn Oil and Gas has appointed Rakesh Agiwal as Chief Strategy & Planning Officer. In this role, Agiwal will be responsible for strengthening long-term strategic planning, business performance alignment, and enterprise-wide decision support to enable the organization’s growth ambitions and its contribution to India’s energy security.
A seasoned finance, commercial, policy and strategic leader, Agiwal brings nearly three decades of experience across corporate finance, commercial operations, business leadership, and regulatory engagement, with a strong track record of supporting transformation in large-scale businesses.
In his current appointment at Cairn Oil and Gas, Rakesh Agiwal has stepped into the role of Chief Strategy & Planning Officer after serving in multiple critical leadership positions within the organization over more than two decades. Prior to this elevation, he served as Chief Policy and Regulatory Officer for nearly two years, based in Gurugram, where he played a key role in guiding policy alignment and regulatory strategy to support business continuity, risk mitigation, and growth.
Earlier at Cairn, Agiwal spent around three years as Chief Commercial Officer, contributing to the company’s commercial strategy and execution, while ensuring business priorities remained aligned with organizational objectives and market dynamics. He previously served as Chief Financial Officer – BU for over seven years, where he led key finance leadership responsibilities that supported performance discipline, governance and strategic business decision-making.
Before moving into enterprise leadership roles, he held operational finance leadership positions including Corporate Controller (about three years) and Cost Controller (nearly four years), strengthening financial control frameworks, cost optimization and reporting rigor. He also worked in Sales Administration leadership at Cairn for over two years, based in Chennai, supporting commercial operations and execution.
Prior to Cairn Oil and Gas, Agiwal’s early career included brief experience as Plant Finance Manager at Hindustan Coca Cola Limited, and more substantial experience in commercial leadership with BPL Soft Energy (over three years) and Ralliwolf Limited (nearly two years). He began his professional journey in corporate finance with Fort Gloster, where he spent close to four years, laying a strong foundation in finance and business operations.
About Cairn Oil and Gas
Cairn Oil & Gas, Vedanta Ltd is India’s largest private oil and gas exploration and production company, contributing nearly a quarter of India’s domestic crude production. The company plays a strategic role in strengthening India’s energy security and is working towards increasing its contribution sustainably and responsibly.
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