Coal Ministry Launches 16th Round of Commercial Coal Mine Auctions

New Delhi, Sep 17 (KNN) The Ministry of Coal is launching the 16th Round of Commercial Coal Mine Auctions in New Delhi on September 17, 2026. The round offers a fresh set of fully explored and partially explored coal blocks.

Satish Chandra Dubey, Minister of State for Coal and Mines, Government of India, is attending the launch as the Chief Guest.

Commercial coal mining was launched in 2020. Across 15 completed auction rounds, 147 coal mines have been auctioned, bringing 44 new companies into the sector. 

The auctioned mines are expected to generate annual revenue of around Rs 47,500 crore, attract capital investment of nearly Rs 55,000 crore and create around 4.9 lakh employment opportunities across coal-bearing states.

The 16th round includes fully explored and partially explored coal blocks. The commercial coal mining framework allows coal mines to be operated without end-use restrictions. 

It also permits 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment through the automatic route, while upfront payments can be adjusted against future revenue share.

The commercial coal mine auction programme has been aimed at increasing domestic coal production and availability and reducing dependence on imports. The 16th round adds further coal blocks to the auction programme.

(KNN Bureau)