News Update

Coal India (CIL) is intensifying its focus on coal quality assurance by expanding the deployment of automated sampling systems at key coal loading points, particularly through silo-based mechanised infrastructure. The move is aimed at ensuring greater consistency in grade determination, minimising variations associated with manual sampling, and strengthening transparency in coal quality assessment.

According to CIL officials, to ensure an impartial, transparent, and credible determination of coal quality, as stipulated under provisions of the Fuel Supply Agreement, CIL facilitates sampling and testing through independent third party sampling agencies (TPSAs).

India has set a target of 1.31 billion tonnes of coal production for the financial year 2026-27, as it seeks to reduce import dependence amid rising energy needs.

India’s Ministry of Coal has successfully concluded the 11th round of commercial coal mine auctions, awarding 12 coal assets to private and public sector bidders, in a move projected to generate roughly ₹3,330 crore in annual revenue and crowd in substantial capital investment.

In 2025, India increased its imports of coking coal by 9.8% year-on-year – to 62.6 million tonnes, with another 21 million tonnes accounted for by pulverised coal fuel (PCI coal), according to BigMint data.

The Indian Ministry of Power has initiated a public consultation on a new Draft National Electricity Policy (NEP) 2026, targeting per capita electricity consumption of 2,000 kWh by 2030 and over 4,000 kWh by 2047, up from less than 1,500 kWh in 2024-2025.

India's electricity transmission network has crossed the milestone of 5 lakh circuit kilometres with the potential to carry high-voltage energy of 220 kilovolts and above and 1,407 gigavolt amperes of transformation capacity, the power ministry said.

India's peak power demand has unexpectedly surged past last summer's record highs on multiple occasions this winter, driven by unusually severe cold conditions sweeping across the country. Data from GRID India reveals peak demand reaching 245 GW on January 9 and 243 GW on January 13, eclipsing the previous high of 242 GW recorded on June 12 last year.

India plans to develop 100 gigawatts (GW) of pumped hydro storage capacity by 2035-36 as part of a broader push to build long-duration energy storage to support a renewable-heavy power grid, according to a roadmap released by the Ministry of Power.

Indian cement consumption grew 9.2 per cent YoY in 2025, amounting to 485Mt. This was a robust acceleration from growth of 6.2 per cent YoY in 2024. India is the second largest consumer of cement in the world after China.