Five first-time bidders enter 14th round of commercial coal auctions

Five companies bid for coal blocks for the first time as the 14th round of commercial coal auctions drew 49 bids for 24 blocks, signalling continued private interest in mining

Five companies bid for coal blocks for the first time under India’s commercial coal mining regime as the 14th round of coal block auctions attracted 49 bids for 24 blocks, the Ministry of Coal said on Tuesday.

 

The bids were opened by the Nominated Authority of the Ministry of Coal, which had offered 41 coal blocks in the current round. Of these, bids were received for 24 blocks, with 11 companies participating in the auction process.

 

“The online bids were decrypted and opened electronically in the presence of the bidders. Subsequently, sealed envelopes containing offline bid documents were also opened in the presence of bidders. The entire process was displayed live on the screen for the bidders, ensuring complete transparency,” the ministry said.

 

How are the coal blocks being auctioned? 

The coal blocks are being auctioned under the government’s commercial coal mining framework, which allows private players to mine coal without end-use restrictions.

 

What happens next in the auction process? 

The bids will now be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary Technical Evaluation Committee. Bidders found technically qualified will be shortlisted to participate in the next stage of the process, namely electronic auctions, which are to be conducted on the MSTC portal.

 

Why is the 14th round significant for coal mining? 

The 14th round is part of the Centre’s ongoing programme to auction coal blocks for commercial mining.