Objectives: This study explored Indian oncologists’ perceptions, experiences and practice of empathic communication during the medical encounter. This study is a part of a larger project examining perspectives and practices of empathy in cancer care among oncologists, oncology nurses, patients, and family caregivers aimed at aiding in developing culturally informed interventions. Sample and setting: Twenty-four practicing oncologists (female=9; mean age=32.79 years) were recruited. Of these, 10 (female=4; mean age=38.2 years) were consultants and 14 (female=5; mean age=28.92 years) were residents. Participants were interviewed at their place of work (typically a hospital setting) in various locations within the city of Hyderabad, India. Procedures: Oncologists participated in individual, audio-recorded, semi-structured interviews exploring their experiences with empathy, the role of empathy in cancer care, and how they used empathy during unique cancer situations (i.e., truth-telling, decision-making). Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Results: The themes generated were: (1) recognizing empathy as a valuable tool to aid in patients’ adjustment and adherence to cancer treatment, (2) receiving no formal training in empathic communication and learning these skills “on the job”, (3) regulating empathic expressions in the initial consultations and subsequent interactions with patients and their caregivers, and (4) relying on empathy when disclosing cancer diagnosis and a poor prognosis, but not during treatment decision-making. Conclusion and clinical implications: These findings suggest that oncologists modelled empathic communication skills learned during their medical education and employ empathy skills for only certain situations (e.g., diagnosis disclosure). Therefore, it may be beneficial to introduce empathic communication skills training workshops for Indian oncologists which are focused on open-ended question-asking, methods to improve patient activation, and specific scenarios (e.g., treatment decision-making, dealing with multiple family members).