Government hits milestone with 200 coal blocks allocated for commercial mining

India’s Coal Ministry has reached a landmark by allocating its 200th coal block under commercial mining reforms. The milestone highlights the government's push for private participation, energy security, and reduced coal imports while ushering in transparent, tech-enabled sectoral transformation

New Delhi: The Ministry of Coal on Tuesday said it has achieved a historic milestone, with the allocation of its 200th coal mine, as part of the economic reforms to introduce commercial mining. This underscores the drive to transform India’s coal sector.

The issuance of the allocation order for the Marwatola “II coal block to Singhal Business Private Limited reaffirms the Ministry’s commitment to advancing sectoral reforms, fostering private participation, and bolstering national self-reliance in coal production.

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With this achievement, the Ministry continues to pave the way for a more resilient, transparent, and future-ready coal ecosystem, the Coal Ministry said in a statement. The Coal

Ministry said it stands steadfast in its commitment to nurturing an environment conducive to investment, reducing procedural impediments, and enabling the expeditious operationalisation of coal blocks across the country.

This milestone reflects the Ministry’s visionary approach — one that seeks not only to enhance domestic coal production but also to rebalance the national energy matrix by reducing dependence on imports and strengthening long-term energy security. The cumulative effect of such initiatives bolsters both economic growth and strategic autonomy, the statement said.

Over the past several years, the Ministry has ushered in a suite of transformative reforms, from the advent of commercial coal mining and the rollout of a single-window clearance system to the adoption of digital monitoring and governance tools. The statement added that these measures have collectively redefined the operational landscape of the coal sector, unlocking new opportunities for private enterprise and ensuring a more transparent, accountable, and future-ready framework for resource development.

The Nominated Authority of the Coal Ministry also opened the bids for the 12th round of commercial coal blocks auction, in which as many as 41 bids have been received online as well as in physical form for 11 coal blocks.

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 on the screen for the bidders, the statement said.

The companies that have submitted bids include Damodar Valley Corporation, Amalgam Steel and Power Ltd, NLC India Limited, Oriental Quarries and Mines Pvt Ltd, Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Orissa Alloy Steel Pvt Ltd, Penna Shipping Limited and Jharkhand Exploration and Mining Corporation Limited.

A total of 38 bids were received against 8 coal blocks offered in the 12th round.