Holding(s) in Company

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuerof existing shares to which voting rights areattached: ii

CAIRN ENERGY PLC

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

X

An acquisition or disposal of qualifying financial instruments which may result in the acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached

£

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

£

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

£

Other (please specify):

£

3. Full name of person(s) subject to thenotification obligation: iii

HSBC Holdings Plc

4. Full name of shareholder(s)  (if different from 3.):iv

HSBC Global Asset Management (Singapore) Limited

Halbis Capital Management (Hong Kong) Limited

HSBC Global Asset Management (Hong Kong) Limited

HSBC Global Asset Management (International) Limited

HSBC Private Bank (Suisse) SA

HSBC Trustee (Singapore) Limited

INKA Internationale Kapitalanlagegesellschft mbH,

Sinopia Asset Management

Sinopia Asset Management (UK) Limited

5. Date of the transaction and date onwhich the threshold is crossed orreached: v

29th Dec 2010

6. Date on which issuer notified:

30th Dec 2010

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed orreached: vi, vii

From 8% to 9%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix

Class/type ofshares

if possible usingthe ISIN CODE

Situation previousto the triggeringtransaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

NumberofShares

NumberofVotingRights

Numberof shares

Number of votingrights

% of voting rights x

Direct

Direct xi

Indirect xii

Direct

Indirect

GB00B59MW615

112,496,017

112,496,017

N/A

N/A

126,056,785

N/A

9.00 %

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Expirationdate xiii

Exercise/Conversion Period xiv

Number of votingrights that may beacquired if theinstrument isexercised/ converted.

% of votingrights

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments xv, xvi

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Exercise price

Expiration date xvii

Exercise/Conversion period xviii

Number of voting rights instrument refers to

% of voting rights xix, xx

Nominal

Delta

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

126,056,785

9.00 %

9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or thefinancial instruments are effectively held, if applicable: xxi

N/A

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

N/A

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will ceaseto hold:

N/A

12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to holdvoting rights:

N/A

13. Additional information:

None

14. Contact name:

Baljeet Gill

15. Contact telephone number:

020 7991 6555