The Business Bytes
THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
NEW DELHI, JUNE 16, 2025
In a strong signal of increasing private sector participation in India’s coal mining industry, the Ministry of Coal on Monday opened bids for the 12th round of commercial coal block auctions, receiving a robust 41 bids for 11 coal blocks. According to an official release from the Ministry, the bids were submitted both online and in physical form, marking a healthy response to the latest round of coal block offerings.
The bid opening process was conducted with full transparency, as online submissions were decrypted and accessed electronically in the presence of the bidders. Following this, sealed offline bids were also opened in their presence, with the entire process being projected live on a screen to ensure procedural integrity.
Among the prominent players who submitted bids are industry stalwarts and emerging entities including Damodar Valley Corporation, Amalgam Steel and Power Ltd, NLC India Limited, Oriental Quarries and Mines Pvt Ltd, Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Orissa Alloy Steel Pvt Ltd, Penna Shipping Limited, and Jharkhand Exploration and Mining Corporation Limited.
Of the total 41 bids received, 38 were for eight coal blocks under the 12th round. Additionally, three blocks offered under the second attempt of the 11th round also received one bid each. Altogether, 27 companies participated in the current auction cycle, with over 10 of them bidding for the first time — highlighting the growing confidence in the government’s commercial coal mining policy.
The bids will now be scrutinized by a multi-disciplinary Technical Evaluation Committee. Those deemed technically qualified will proceed to the final electronic auction phase, which will be hosted on the MSTC portal.
Earlier this year in March, the Ministry successfully auctioned 12 coal mines — comprising eight fully explored and four partially explored blocks — across five states. These mines are projected to yield an annual revenue of ₹3,330 crore (excluding the partially explored blocks) and draw capital investments worth ₹2,319 crore. In addition to economic gains, they are expected to generate nearly 21,000 employment opportunities, bolstering development in coal-rich regions.
