Energy continues to drive India’s economic growth, and coal still supplies a large share of the country’s energy needs. In a recent push to strengthen governance and improve accountability in the sector, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked the Ministry of Coal to draw up a roadmap for mapping and listing all subsidiaries of Coal India Limited (CIL) by 2030.
Following this, the government now plans to set up coal exchanges that will allow surplus thermal coal to be traded competitively. With domestic output expected to climb beyond 1.5 billion tonnes by 2030, officials say the new system is meant to support market-based price discovery as the sector moves toward a surplus.
The Ministry of Coal has already circulated revised draft Coal Exchange Rules and invited stakeholder comments. Through a recent gazette notification, the Coal Controller Organisation (CCO) has been named as the authority responsible for registering and regulating these exchanges.
Officials also pointed out that a series of policy reforms in recent years has boosted self-sufficiency and raised domestic availability. India’s coal production crossed the one-billion-tonne mark in 2024-25, reinforcing the need to rethink how surplus coal is sold and priced.
The legal foundation for establishing coal exchanges comes from the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2025, which gives the Centre the power to promote mineral trading through regulated platforms.
Also Read: PMO pushes listing of Coal India subsidiaries by 2030: Reports
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