Growing industry confidence in commercial coal block auctions; 21 bids received for 8 blocks in the 15th round
New Delhi. The Nominated Authority under the Ministry of Coal opened bids on Friday for the 15th round of commercial coal block auctions, as well as for the 13th and 14th rounds (second attempt). A total of 21 bids were received for 8 of the 23 coal blocks offered in this phase, reflecting strong industry participation and growing confidence in the commercial coal mining regime.
In accordance with the prescribed procedure, online bids were first decrypted and opened electronically. Subsequently, envelopes containing sealed bid documents submitted offline were opened in the presence of the bidders. To ensure transparency, the entire process was displayed live on screen.
A total of 16 companies participated in this auction process, with four companies bidding under the commercial coal mining regime for the first time. The participation of new companies indicates increasing industry confidence in government policies and the opportunities available in India's coal sector.
All received bids will now be evaluated by a multi-disciplinary Technical Evaluation Committee. Bidders declared technically qualified will be shortlisted for the electronic auction (e-auction) to be conducted on the MSTC portal.
According to the Ministry of Coal, the consistently positive response to commercial coal block auctions highlights the sector's growing potential and its pivotal role in energy security and industrial development. This will accelerate economic growth and the goal of an 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' (Self-Reliant India) while meeting the country's energy requirements.
