The Ministry of Coal today opened bids for the 14th round of the Commercial Coal Blocks Auction, recording encouraging participation from industry stakeholders and reaffirming confidence in India’s commercial coal mining framework.

Under this round, bids were received for 24 coal blocks out of the 41 blocks on offer, with a total of 49 bids submitted. The opening of bids was conducted by the Nominated Authority through a fully transparent process. Online bids were decrypted and opened electronically in the presence of bidders, followed by the opening of sealed envelopes containing offline bid documents. The entire procedure was displayed live on screen for participants, ensuring transparency at every stage.

A total of 11 companies took part in the auction, including five new entrants bidding for the first time under the commercial coal mining regime. The participation of first-time bidders reflects growing industry confidence in the policy framework and highlights the expanding opportunities within India’s coal sector.

The Ministry said the bids will now be examined by a multi-disciplinary Technical Evaluation Committee. Based on the evaluation, technically qualified bidders will be shortlisted for the next stage—the electronic auction—to be conducted on the MSTC portal.

The sustained response to commercial coal block auctions underlines the coal sector’s continued importance in supporting industrial growth and strengthening the country’s energy security. As India advances towards its goal of becoming the world’s third-largest economy, commercial coal mining remains a key pillar in ensuring reliable domestic energy supply while attracting private investment and enhancing operational efficiency across the sector.

The government has consistently emphasised transparency, competition and ease of participation in the auction process, measures that have helped widen industry participation and reinforce confidence in India’s commercial coal mining ecosystem.