Coal Sector

The recent policy reforms in India's coal sector have streamlined captive and commercial operations by reducing the operationalisation timelines for fully and partially explored blocks, Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt has said. Aided by the government's policy reforms, the operationalisation timelines for fully explored coal blocks have been reduced by 11 months and partially explored blocks by 14 months, Dutt said. Cutting operationalisation timelines drastically reduces regulatory and administrative gestation periods, enabling faster mine development and quicker commercial production. Speaking during a meeting of Consultative Committee attached to the Ministry of Coal on Wednesday, Dutt said that continuous reforms introduced in the coal sector have reduced the operationalisation timeline for fully explored blocks from 51 months to 40 months and partially explored blocks from 66 months to 52 months. Captive and commercial mines have played an important role in achieving 1 billion

The coal ministry has issued the final RFP under its Rs 37,500 crore coal gasification scheme, targeting the signing of project agreements by January 4, 2027

The ministry has recommended the OECD methodology for valuing coal reserves, saying it could strengthen natural capital accounting and support evidence-based policymaking

Government says eight projects backed by incentive support are under implementation as India pushes coal gasification to reduce import dependence and boost industrial capacity

Mumbai event will bring together investors, technology providers and coal companies as the Centre seeks to accelerate domestic coal gasification projects

The Cabinet is likely to approve soon a Rs 37,500 crore incentive scheme to promote coal gasification projects, aimed at boosting clean energy production and reducing import dependence, sources said. The coal ministry has already prepared a Cabinet note on the scheme to promote coal gasification projects, with a financial outlay of Rs 37,500 crore, they said. The proposed scheme is aimed at accelerating surface coal and lignite gasification projects across the country, promoting self reliance by reducing import dependence on critical commodities such as LNG, urea, ammonium nitrate, ammonia, coking coal via DRI, methanol and DME, while enabling enhanced utilisation of domestic coal and lignite resources for fuels and chemicals production, and supporting the national target of 100 million tonnes coal gasification capacity by 2030. This is a unified scheme with no categories, and the maximum financial assistance for a single project is Rs 3,000 crore, they said. In the earlier financi

Coal India begins FY27 on a weak note with a sharp fall in April production and marginal decline in offtake, even as dispatches exceed output amid rising summer demand

New norms aim to boost syngas production from coal and lignite through gasification technology, while ensuring minimal surface impact, scientific planning, and regulatory compliance

Coal India plans two washeries and a coal gasification-based ammonium nitrate plant in Odisha to boost value addition and reduce raw coal transport

Urban fuel restrictions and global LPG supply shocks have left nearly 30,000 vendors facing collapse of their livelihoods

India keeps coal central to energy security while expanding renewables, nuclear, and solar manufacturing, balancing climate action with equity and grid stability

NTPC will set up its coal-to-synthetic natural gas facility in Chhattisgarh at an investment of around Rs 10,000 crore, a senior company official said. The company is looking for technology tie-ups for various processes, like coal beneficiation and gasification, to produce synthetic natural gas (SNG), the official said, requesting anonymity. NTPC will look to produce SNG at a cost of around USD 12 million British thermal unit (MMBTU). In October 2025, NTPC announced signing an agreement with Engineers India Limited (EIL) to develop a coal-to-synthetic natural gas (SNG) facility. The energy giant had not disclosed any details of the proposed project, including the location. It said the facility would utilise high-ash Indian coal from the company's captive mines. NETRA, the R&D wing of NTPC, is actively leading the initiative under its broader vision of 'greening the coal' and advancing carbon capture and utilisation technologies. As per the official, the project will be set up at

The Chhattisgarh-based arm of Coal India Limited (CIL) will take up the project through its corporate social responsibility (CSR) head, SECL spokesperson said

India's coal imports, which jumped 28.1 per cent in November, is expected is see a decline in the coming months on account of increased availability of domestic resources, according to industry data. Imports in November rose to 25.07 million tonnes (MT) as against 19.57 MT imported in November 2024, according to data compiled by mjunction services ltd, a B2B e-commerce platform and joint venture of SAIL and Tata Steel. "There was an uptick in volumes in November mainly due to winter restocking by steel mills. Also, some buyers took fresh positions as seaborne prices remained weak. In coming months, however, we expect to see a drop in imports due to increased domestic availability," mjunction MD & CEO Vinaya Varma said. Of the total imports in November 2025, non-coking coal import stood at 14.28 MT, higher than 12.32 MT imported in November last fiscal year. Coking coal import stood at 6.51 MT, compared to 4.25 MT recorded for the same month last financial year. Coal import in the

Coal has been closely tied to the Communist Party's history and to its efforts to transform China's economy over the past decades

The policy will allow companies to export up to 50 per cent of coal, highlighting that India has sufficient domestic production of coal

A parliamentary standing committee has flagged delays of up to nearly three years in environmental and forest clearances for coal mining projects

The Centre is reviewing West Bengal's request for coal linkage for a new 1,600 MW unit under the revised SHAKTI Policy as the state looks to add capacity to meet rising demand

New accreditations aim to cut delays, give allottees more choice and speed up coal and lignite mine development

The 14th round introduces Underground Coal Gasification for the first time and launches digital platforms CLAMP and Koyla Shakti to boost transparency and efficiency