The Nominated Authority under the Ministry of Coal has opened bids for the 12th round of commercial coal block auctions, excluding six underground coal blocks. The round attracted notable interest from participants, with bids submitted for 11 out of the 22 available blocks. 

The online bids were decrypted and accessed electronically in the presence of bidders. Following this, sealed envelopes containing physical bid documents were also opened in front of the participants. The entire procedure was displayed live on screen for complete transparency. In total, 41 bids—both online and offline—were received for 11 coal blocks. 

For the 12th round alone, 38 bids were submitted for 8 coal blocks. In addition, the second attempt of the 11th round featured 3 coal blocks, each receiving one bid. 

The involvement of new firms in the commercial coal block auction process reflects growing confidence and interest in the government’s policy framework. The coal industry continues to play a key role in driving India’s ambition to become the world’s third-largest economy. 

A multi-disciplinary Technical Evaluation Committee will now assess the bids. Technically qualified bidders will be shortlisted for the electronic auction stage, which will be held via the MSTC portal.