The Nominated Authority, Ministry of Coal, today opened the bids for the 15^th round of Commercial Coal Blocks' Auction, held together with the 2^nd Attempt of the 13^th and 14^th Tranches. Across these rounds, bids were received for 8 coal blocks against 23 blocks on offer, reflecting robust industry participation in India's commercial coal mining framework.

 

In keeping with the established procedure, the online bids were first decrypted and opened electronically, after which the sealed envelopes carrying the offline bid documents were opened. The process was carried out in the presence of the participating bidders, and the proceedings were displayed live on screen to ensure complete transparency. In total, 21 bids were received against 8 of the 23 coal blocks offered under these rounds.

A total of 16 companies participated in this round, of which 4 were first-time bidders under the commercial coal mining regime. Their entry reflects the confidence industry places in the policy framework and the opportunities opening up across India's coal sector, which stays central to the country's economic growth.

The bids received will now be placed before a multi-disciplinary Technical Evaluation Committee for assessment. Bidders found technically qualified will be shortlisted for the electronic auction to be conducted on the MSTC portal.

The steady interest shown in commercial coal block auctions reaffirms the sector's attractiveness and critical role it plays in industrial growth and energy security, taking forward India's broader development goals.

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Prajith Kumar MV/ Shuhaib T

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