Mining for Growth: Inside the 14th Commercial Coal Auction

The Ministry of Coal’s Nominated Authority opened bids for the 14th round of commercial coal block auctions on 23 December 2025, drawing strong participation from industry players.

Bids were received for 24 of the 41 coal blocks on offer, with a total of 49 bids submitted by 11 companies, including five new entrants. This level of participation reflects growing momentum and confidence in India’s commercial coal mining sector. The bid-opening process was conducted with full transparency, with both online and offline bid documents opened in the presence of bidders and the proceedings displayed live.

The Ministry of Coal will now assess the submissions through a multi-disciplinary Technical Evaluation Committee. Bidders who qualify will move on to the next stage of the process—the electronic auction to be conducted on the MSTC portal. As India works towards becoming the world’s third-largest economy, the coal sector continues to play a crucial role in supporting industrial growth and energy security.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.