India, Aug. 5 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
Over the last five years, the Government has carried out a series of structural and procedural reforms to make coal allocation and mining more transparent, efficient, and scientific. The key change has been the shift from allotment to allocation through open competitive auction, alongside the opening of commercial coal mining in 2020 with no restriction on the sale or end-use of coal.
1. Key Reforms for Transparency and Market-Based Allocation:
2. Reforms for Efficiency and Ease of Doing Business:
The Government has taken several initiatives to modernise the coal ecosystem through technology adoption and clean coal initiatives:
Coal continues to play a vital role in meeting the country's energy needs and supporting industrial growth.
Further, the Government promotes environmental sustainability in coal mining through initiatives such as plantation/bio-reclamation, development of eco-parks, and mine water utilization. Blast-free mining technologies (like Surface Miners) are being aggressively adopted to replace conventional drilling.
India's domestic coal production has increased significantly from about 731 million tonnes in 2019-20 to cross 1 Billion Tonnes for two consecutive years, reaching 1047.52 MT in FY 2024-25 and 1039 MT in FY 2025-26.
The Government has launched an Integrated Coal Logistics Plan aiming to develop a technology-enabled, cost-effective multimodal logistics ecosystem through rail, road, coastal shipping, and inland waterways. A total of 139 First Mile Connectivity (FMC) projects with an aggregate capacity of about 1,319 million tonnes have been taken up, out of which 72 projects with a capacity of about 589 million tonnes have already been commissioned
To further streamline the sector, the Government has notified the Coal Exchange Rules, 2026 to establish a regulated online platform for trading coal and its processed forms. The Coal Exchange will enable captive/commercial miners and consumers to enter into delivery-based contracts.
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Shri Satish Chandra Dubey in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
