Auction introduces 25 coal blocks across nine resource‑rich states

The 16th round features 25 coal blocks spread over nine coal‑rich states – Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal. Of these, 21 blocks are fully explored and four are partially explored. Six blocks fall under the Coal Mines (Special Provisions) Act, while the remaining 19 are offered under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act. The blocks are open to established mining firms, new entrants and technology‑driven enterprises. The commercial coal mining framework allows 100% FDI through the automatic route, imposes no end‑use restrictions, and offers flexible upfront payment structures that can be adjusted against future revenue shares.