Union Minister of Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy visited Western Coalfields Limited in Nagpur on 13 and 14 March 2026 to perform the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for two integrated coal gasification plants in Bhadrawati and to review the Murpar mine closure site. The minister also convened a Mine Closure Advisory Committee meeting with stakeholders to assess progress on closure plans and remedial measures. The visit underlined central oversight of project implementation and mine reclamation activities and aimed to align state and central efforts.

The Coal Gasification Mission, launched in 2020, aims to gasify 100 million tonnes (100 mn t) of coal by 2030 to maximise the value and utility of coal while moving towards cleaner energy solutions and more sustainable resource use. The mission is intended to support domestic production of chemical feedstocks and fuels and to reduce dependence on imported commodities. Advancing gasification is expected to enable higher value downstream industries and provide feedstock flexibility for several sectors.

A financial incentive scheme announced in January 2024 for the promotion of coal gasification is valued at Rs 85 billion (Rs 85 bn). The scheme is designed to encourage private investment and technological adoption and to accelerate coal resource utilisation. It is expected to enable import substitution for urea, natural gas, ethanol and coking coal and to support the development of domestic supply chains, logistics and downstream manufacturing linked to gasification plants.

The minister and the chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, laid the foundation stone for projects by Greta Energy and Metal Private Limited and New Era Cleantech Solution Pvt. Ltd in the Bhadrawati Industrial Area, Chandrapur. Greta Energy will develop a coal gasification project for Direct Reduced Iron (DRI) production while New Era Cleantech will pursue coal gasification for ammonium nitrate and hydrogen production. These two projects are among seven selected for incentives under the central scheme and are expected to strengthen regional industry and employment opportunities.