Out in the cold

Petrotech 2014, India's showcase hydrocarbon event organised by ONGC recently, was criticised widely for organisational flaws. On day one, when the prime minister was addressing the session, a couple of diplomats from African countries were forced to stand outside the venue because the security detail refused them to allow them to enter on grounds that the programme has already started. The interim-CEO of an Indian company faced the same situation. It took a few journalists who were also stuck outside to convince the security men that the people who were denied entry were indeed VIPs. And this incident occurred just as the government was getting ready to invite bids from global companies for a new round of oil and gas exploration licences.