Page 4 - Saket Kumar

PMO nudges CIL to invest in critical minerals in Australia: Outgoing CMD

Coal India's outgoing CMD says PMO has asked the miner to invest in Australian critical minerals, terming diversification beyond coal a potential game changer for the PSU

Industry body urges 15% duty on aluminium to curb rising cheap imports

The Aluminium Association of India has warned that unchecked imports could meet over half of India's aluminium demand by FY26, threatening domestic producers

CIL intensifies critical mineral push with fresh bids, global focus

Coal India Ltd is accelerating its diversification strategy by bidding for domestic critical mineral blocks and scouting global lithium, graphite, and rare earth assets

CoalMin proposes escrow fund for underground coal gasification blocks

Stakeholders have 30 days to submit comments on draft rules mandating pilot feasibility studies, real-time groundwater tracking, and escrow funds for UCG mine closure

Steel industry flags price pressure from cheap imports ahead of key meet

Steelmakers seek lower logistics costs, R&D incentives, and inclusion of key alloys in critical minerals list to boost long-term competitiveness

Coal Ministry issues vesting orders for three new commercial mines

Total revenue from commercial coal mines projected at ₹37,700 crore annually as three new blocks are vested under the latest round of coal auctions

Australia launches First Nations mission to boost mining ties with India

Under the mission, a delegation including eight Mining Equipment, Technology and Services (METS) companies, all of which are Australian First Nations-owned, will visit India

Govt expands definition of indigenous tech under gasification scheme

The Ministry of Coal allows foreign-collaborated technologies adapted in India to qualify as indigenous under the coal and lignite gasification incentive scheme

Centre sets timelines to speed up work on auctioned mineral blocks

The amendment sets clear milestones between the issuance of the letter of intent (LoI) and the execution of mining leases, with penalties for delays and incentives for early production

Mines ministry unlikely to cap bid premium in critical mineral auctions

The mines ministry rules out any move to limit bid premiums for critical minerals, even as aggressive offers raise questions over their commercial viability

Centre unveils first State Mining Index to boost reforms in mineral sector

Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat lead in the first State Mining Readiness Index, as the Centre benchmarks States to boost mining reforms and sustainable practices

Centre reclassifies limestone as major mineral amid rising industrial use

The move, effective October 10, 2025, follows NITI Aayog's panel advice and brings limestone under central regulation as its use grows in large industries

Centre to intensify advance-level exploration of critical mineral blocks

The government is also planning to launch a single-window clearance portal for mining projects by December, which will expedite the mining project execution, including that of critical minerals

Govt floats draft Coal Mines Employees Provident Fund Bill for discussion

The Coal Ministry's draft Bill seeks to replace the 1948 law, modernise the provident fund framework, and align miners' welfare schemes with new labour codes

Mines ministry proposes lowering bidder threshold for mineral auctions

The Ministry of Mines has proposed amendments to allow mineral block auctions to proceed with two technically qualified bidders instead of three to improve success rates

Coal ministry pushes early completion of critical evacuation projects

During the meeting, the coal companies informed the ministry's additional secretary about various issues related to land acquisition, forest clearances, and compensation for landowners

Govt to launch ₹8,500 cr scheme, coal block policy for gasification

The government will roll out an Rs 8,500 crore incentive scheme and a dedicated coal block allocation framework to promote gasification, with private and foreign players showing interest

Imported coal may feature on proposed coal exchange for trading, says CIL

Coal India wants imported coal to be traded on the proposed coal exchange to improve price discovery and transparency while supplementing existing auction platforms

Power cost to drop 17-18 paise per unit as GST Council scraps coal cess

The GST Council's decision to remove the Rs 400 coal cess will lower electricity generation costs, ease liquidity for coal companies and make domestic coal more competitive

Govt plans to bring in mechanism to curb irrational bidding by companies

It has been observed that such behaviour either distorts the bidding process and its price discovery function or lead to project delays when non-serious players bag contracts