The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas announced the commencement of drilling the first appraisal well, MN-DWN18-1-HD, in the Mahanadi Offshore Basin, which Union Minister Shri Hardeep Singh Puri described as the beginning of a new chapter in India's journey towards energy security. This well is the first of four planned deepwater wells to evaluate the basin, employing world-class drilling technology to unlock new hydrocarbon resources and strengthen domestic production. The Minister highlighted that this reflects a decade of reforms, including the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), Open Acreage Licensing Programme (OALP), transparent Revenue Sharing framework, and the opening of nearly 99% of offshore 'No-Go' areas for exploration, with approximately 81% of India's active exploration acreage awarded since 2014. Under OALP, 172 exploration blocks covering 3.8 lakh square kilometres have been awarded with committed investments exceeding USD 4.3 billion, and in FY 2025-26 alone, around 674 wells were drilled, resulting in five new discoveries and seven monetised discoveries. The government has made sustained investments in geoscientific data generation through initiatives such as Mission Anveshan, the National Seismic Programme, the Extended Continental Shelf Survey, the National Data Repository, and the Hydrocarbon Resource Assessment Study. The strategy focuses on discovering new resources while maximizing recovery from existing assets using advanced technologies, with efforts to revitalise mature fields. The Minister emphasized that energy security will be achieved through reforms, technology, and the dedication of professionals, reducing import dependence and realizing the vision of Viksit Bharat. ONGC, Oil India Limited, and the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons were congratulated for their contributions.