Explorers in the world’s fastest-growing oil market are seeking lower taxes on crude produced domestically to encourage fresh drilling as India tries to reduce its dependence on energy imports. State-run Oil & Natural Gas Corp. and the biggest private producer Cairn India Ltd. want Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to at least halve the tax on crude oil production in the federal budget due Feb. 1. India surprised some explorers last year with its 20 percent levy on crude produced locally, moving from a fixed charge. Companies pay more now with crude near $50 a barrel than they did under the old system when it was double the price. “Globally, given the low oil price scenario, governments have provided incentives to stimulate and attract investments,” said Sudhir Mathur, interim chief executive officer at Cairn India. “In India, the cess rate of 20 percent acts as a disincentive to increase production […]