Centre Notifies Rules To Fast-Track Coal Mine Openings

31 Dec 2025 CW Team

The Indian government has notified the Colliery Control (Amendment) Rules, 2025, with the aim of significantly easing and accelerating the start of coal mining operations across the country.

Under the amended rules, the boards of coal companies are now authorised to approve the opening of a mine, a coal seam or even a section of a seam. The change is intended to remove procedural bottlenecks and enable faster operationalisation of coal mines.

According to the Ministry of Coal, the amendment seeks to improve efficiency in the coal sector. Earlier, the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, required mine owners to obtain prior approval from the Coal Controller’s Organisation (CCO) to open a new mine, commence work on additional seams, or restart operations if mining had been suspended for more than six months. This process often led to significant delays.

The revised framework removes this intermediate approval step. The Ministry said the requirement of obtaining prior opening permission from the CCO has now been dispensed with, allowing company boards to grant final approval once all other statutory clearances are in place.

The Ministry noted that the reform is expected to reduce the operationalisation timeline of a mine by up to two months. By eliminating this waiting period, coal production can begin sooner, while accountability is clearly placed on the boards of coal companies to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements.

Despite the streamlined process, safeguards remain. Board-level approvals can only be granted after all necessary permissions from central and state authorities have been secured. Following approval, companies are still required to intimate the Coal Controller’s Organisation to ensure regulatory oversight and record-keeping.

For smaller entities that are not structured as companies, the approval mechanism remains unchanged. In such cases, permissions will continue to be granted through the CCO. Through this reform, the government aims to boost coal output while making the regulatory system more efficient and responsive.

The Indian government has notified the Colliery Control (Amendment) Rules, 2025, with the aim of significantly easing and accelerating the start of coal mining operations across the country. Under the amended rules, the boards of coal companies are now authorised to approve the opening of a mine, a coal seam or even a section of a seam. The change is intended to remove procedural bottlenecks and enable faster operationalisation of coal mines. According to the Ministry of Coal, the amendment seeks to improve efficiency in the coal sector. Earlier, the Colliery Control Rules, 2004, required mine owners to obtain prior approval from the Coal Controller’s Organisation (CCO) to open a new mine, commence work on additional seams, or restart operations if mining had been suspended for more than six months. This process often led to significant delays. The revised framework removes this intermediate approval step. The Ministry said the requirement of obtaining prior opening permission from the CCO has now been dispensed with, allowing company boards to grant final approval once all other statutory clearances are in place. The Ministry noted that the reform is expected to reduce the operationalisation timeline of a mine by up to two months. By eliminating this waiting period, coal production can begin sooner, while accountability is clearly placed on the boards of coal companies to ensure compliance with all regulatory requirements. Despite the streamlined process, safeguards remain. Board-level approvals can only be granted after all necessary permissions from central and state authorities have been secured. Following approval, companies are still required to intimate the Coal Controller’s Organisation to ensure regulatory oversight and record-keeping. For smaller entities that are not structured as companies, the approval mechanism remains unchanged. In such cases, permissions will continue to be granted through the CCO. Through this reform, the government aims to boost coal output while making the regulatory system more efficient and responsive.

Infrastructure Transport

01 Jun 2026

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

Infrastructure Urban

01 Jun 2026

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..