India’s first-ever auction to commercially mine and sell coal has received 82 bids from 46 companies in the technical round. Well-known names like Adani Mining, Essel Mining, and Hindalco, as well as several new entrants -- mostly from the MSME sector and non-coal industries -- put in their bids. Among the new entrants, Andhra Mineral Development Corporation has expressed an interest for two mines.
The bids were received for 23 coal blocks, out of the 38 that were offered by the Ministry of Coal for the first commercial coal auction. For 20 blocks, there were more than two bidders.
According