The Ministry of Coal has initiated the 13th round of commercial coal mine auctions, offering a fresh set of opportunities for investors and the mining sector. The auction was officially launched in New Delhi in the presence of Union Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy and Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey.
In this round, a total of 14 coal blocks are up for bidding, with 10 fully explored mines ready for immediate development and 4 partially explored blocks available for long-term exploration. The mines are offered under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, 2015 and the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957. In addition, three blocks from earlier rounds have been reintroduced in this phase.
According to the Ministry, India has already auctioned 134 coal mines in earlier rounds, which has attracted investments worth more than ₹41,600 crore and generated over 3.5 lakh employment opportunities. The new round aims to build on this momentum while strengthening the country’s energy security.
The government also emphasized the importance of adopting cleaner and innovative technologies such as Underground Coal Gasification (UCG), which enables conversion of deep-seated coal into syngas without large-scale surface disturbance. To encourage cleaner coal usage, an incentive scheme worth ₹8,500 crore has been rolled out to support coal gasification projects.
The auction process is being carried out transparently to ensure wide participation from private players, including smaller mining firms. Alongside, the Ministry is streamlining clearance processes, improving logistics, and introducing sustainability measures such as afforestation and responsible mine closure practices.
With India crossing 1 billion tonnes of coal production in 2024-25 for the first time, the government’s push for commercial auctions is expected to further boost domestic coal output, reduce import dependency, and contribute to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
