Skip to main content

India launches its 8th round of coal mine auctions, offering 39 mines

India’s Ministry of Coal has launched the country’s 8th round of auctions for commercial coal mines, in which a total of 39 mines will be put on sale. 35 new coal mines will be offered in the new round, including 11 under the Coal Mines Act of 2015 and 24 under the MMDR Act of 1957. Among these, 14 coal mines are fully explored, while 21 are partially explored. Additionally, four coal mines are being offered under the second attempt of the 7th round of commercial coal auction.

Since the initiation of commercial coal mining in 2020, the ministry has conducted seven rounds, auctioning 91 mines with a peak rated capacity of 221 Mt/year. 

India’s coal and lignite production increased by 14% in 2022 to 937 Mt, its highest level ever. India is the world’s 2nd largest coal and lignite producer after China and more than 500 mines are in operation. The country plans to reach a coal output of 1 Gt for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, and to reach 1.4 Gt by 2027.