India Prepares to Step Up Its Coal Production

India is getting ready to open up commercial coal mining to private companies for the first time in four decades, with the aim of shifting the world's third-biggest coal importer toward energy self-sufficiency, NBC News reported.

Anil Swarup, the country's top coal bureaucrat, told Reuters on Friday the government has identified mines it plans to auction, and is now finalizing other terms such as eligibility criteria for companies to take part and whether and how to set up revenue sharing, NBC News reporterd.

He said a plan should be ready in the 2-3 months, setting a clear timeline on a plan that has previously only been sketched out.

India has an ambitious plan to double its coal production to 1.5 billion tonnes (about 1.63 U.S. tons) a year by 2020, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to bring power to 300 million people who live without electricity, and give a boost to manufacturing.

Contact Us