The Centre is set to open another round of commercial coal mine auctions on September 17, with the Ministry of Coal putting a fresh batch of coal blocks up for bidding as it looks to expand private participation in domestic mining.
The 16th auction round will be launched in New Delhi in the presence of Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, the ministry said in a press release on Wednesday.
The latest offering will include both fully explored and partially explored coal blocks. The auction rules will continue to allow companies to mine coal without restrictions on its end use.
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Foreign investors will also be able to participate, with 100% FDI allowed through the automatic route.
Government has kept the financial entry requirements relatively flexible. Upfront payments can be adjusted against future revenue share, a provision aimed at making coal mining accessible to new and smaller participants.
The latest round comes after 15 rounds of commercial coal auctions since the policy was introduced in 2020. So far, 147 mines have been auctioned, with 44 new companies entering the coal mining sector.
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These mines could generate about Rs 47,500 crore in annual revenue and bring nearly Rs 55,000 crore in capital investment. They are also expected to create around 4.9 lakh jobs across coal producing states.
The ministry expects the new auction round to add to domestic coal availability and help reduce India's dependence on imports, while supporting its broader energy security goals.
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