First-in-history: India hits coal production milestone of 1B ton/year
What's the story
India has achieved a major milestone by exceeding its coal production target of one billion ton (BT) per year for the first time in history. The achievement was announced by Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today. The Indian government is now looking to further ramp up domestic coal production with an ambitious target of 1.5 billion ton per year by FY30.
Production boost
Coal India has been assigned a target of 1BT
The minister revealed that Coal India alone has been given a target of producing one billion ton by FY27, which will be increased to 1.13 billion ton by FY30. In FY25, Coal India produced 781.07 million ton of coal. This increase in production has helped India meet most of its coal requirements through domestic sources.
Import details
India still imports some coal
Despite the increase in domestic production, India still imports some coal. However, these imports mainly consist of essential items such as coking coal and higher-grade non-coking coal. The minister explained that domestic production is limited for these types due to scarce reserves or their unavailability.
Production initiatives
Steps taken to boost domestic coal production
To boost domestic coal production, several initiatives have been taken. These include single window clearance, regulatory amendments permitting captive mines to sell up to 50% of their annual production after meeting end-use requirements, technological improvements, and expansion of existing projects. The Centre has also auctioned coal blocks for commercial mining and permitted 100% Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in this sector.