...Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Ltd.'s (ONGC) Baa1 issuer ratings are primarily driven by its standalone credit profile, as captured in its baa1 Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA), which reflects the company's (1) position as the largest integrated oil and gas company in India, with significant reserves, production volume and crude distillation capacity; (2) substantial operating cash flow generation capacity; and (3) credit metrics, which have improved, although they will remain constrained by volatile, but range-bound, oil prices and high shareholder returns. At the same time, the BCA incorporates our expectation that the company will not be asked to share fuel subsidies as long as oil prices remain below $70 per barrel. The rating also incorporates our expectation that ONGC will continue to pursue shareholder- friendly policies, such as high dividend payments and share buybacks. These policies are largely driven by the Government of India (Baa2 stable), which continues to expect high dividends...