India is preparing to open the 11th round of the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP), under which 21 oil and gas blocks will be offered to companies for exploration. OALP functions as a part of the Hydrocarbon Exploration and Licensing Policy (HELP), which allows investors to identify and bid for exploration areas. The new round is intended to attract exploration investment and raise the country's domestic production of crude oil and natural gas, thereby reducing reliance on imported energy.