India asks state banks to protect dollar assets on Cairn concern

Indian authorities asked state-run banks to protect their dollar deposits on concern they could be frozen if Cairn Energy Plc moves to seize India’s offshore assets as part of a tax dispute, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Lenders aren’t committing to U.S. dollar purchases in the forwards market since this guidance last week, the people said, asking not to be identified discussing private deliberations. U.K.-based Cairn Energy can push authorities to impound Indian assets if the South Asian nation declines to honor an arbitration ruling in a $1.2 billion tax dispute, according to a letter the company sent to the Indian High Commission in the U.K. earlier this year. The advice from Indian authorities came ahead of a summit on Tuesday between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his U.K. counterpart Boris Johnson.