The Consultative Committee of Members of Parliament attached to the Ministry of Coal met under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy to review technology upgradation in coal companies. The meeting was attended by the Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey, the secretary of the ministry, senior ministry officials and representatives of major coal companies. Officials outlined the agenda and highlighted policy initiatives, progress and future plans for digital and mechanised mining. The secretary welcomed members and noted that there is no unprecedented demand for coal at present.

The presentations described a shift from traditional mining to smart, safe and digital mining through the use of drones for surveying, three dimensional laser scanning and artificial intelligence and machine learning based predictive analytics. The minister observed that technology upgradation has become a permanent objective and that efforts cover production, safety, efficiency and environmental responsibility. The ministry is pursuing advanced solutions including carbon capture and storage, biomass cofiring and coal gasification as part of broader innovation and integration initiatives.

Coal India Limited (CIL) is undertaking major technology upgrades including three dimensional seismic surveys, drones for exploration, continuous miners and highwall systems to boost efficiency and safety. CIL is improving transport infrastructure with new railway corridors and conveyor systems and driving digital transformation through SAP enterprise resource planning and five G enabled Internet of Things systems. The company is also focusing on clean coal technologies and sustainable mining in collaboration with Indian research institutes.

Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) has advanced digitalisation with dynamic land record dashboards, a digital logistic management system, real time monitoring using OITDS and geo fencing, and terrestrial three dimensional laser scanners for mine surveying. Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has implemented an Integrated Control and Command Centre, DGPS and drone based GIS surveys, an Intelligent Coal Logistics Dashboard and safety devices on over 410 dumpers. Committee members appreciated the proactive approach and offered suggestions to optimise output through continued technology adoption.