India fails yet again to make Fraser Institute’s investment destination ranking

The Indian mining industry has squarely blamed the country’s present mining policy and adoption of mandatory auction for allocation of mineral assets as the cause of the country not featuring in... 

Coal dispatch in India declines but thermal power plants have sufficient stocks amid economic slowdown

Despite a decline in coal supplies to the power sector by State-miner, Coal India Limited (CIL), during April 2019 to January 2020, no thermal power plant of India’s largest power producer, NTPC,... 

India likely to slash domestic natural gas price by 25%

India is likely to slash domestic natural gas prices, in view of the fall in global prices and the forecast of sustained low demand in key markets in the wake of the coronavirus spread. Sources... 

NCL firms up plans to increase power generation capacity

India’s NLC has firmed up plans to increased downstream activity, targeting power generation of 21 011 MW by 2025, of which at least 20% will be from renewable energy sources. In the current... 

India’s SCCL firms up capex to achieve 67.5Mt production next year

India’s Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) has firmed up capital expenditure (capex) of $423-million for 2020/21 and increased its coal production target to 67.5-million tons, up from the... 

ONGC likely to report production decline

Indian State run oil, gas exploration and production (E&P) major ONGC is expected to report 3.4% decline in production during current financial year, closing on March 31, 2020. According to a... 

Prospective coal block bidders seek bundled approvals

Large Indian coal consuming companies planning to enter commercial coal mining have asked the government to bundle mandatory approvals before putting up blocks for auction. The companies made a... 

India’s Coal Ministry to fund CIL technical wing to increase exploration activity

The Indian government has framed a scheme to offer funds to the technical and consultancy arm of State miner Coal India Limited (CIL) to expand exploration activities so that more fully explored... 

India’s NMDC firms up capex to lift production by 50%

Indian State-run miner NMDC, the country’s largest iron-ore producer, has firmed up capital investments of $324-million to increase production by 50% to 48-million tons a year by the end of... 

India keen to import more coking coal from Russia and Mongolia

In a bid to lower its import dependency on Australian coking coal, the Indian government has opened up bilateral government-to-government negotiations with Mongolia and Russia to ship greater... 

India employs UAVs to protect Chhattisgarh iron-ore mines

The Indian government has beefed up security in the central state of Chhattisgarh to increase protection of iron-ore mining assets in the region from threats posed by ultra-left-wing extremists.... 

FIMI urges lower upfront payment for India’s commercial coal blocks

The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), the apex representative body of miners in the country, has sought a reduction in upfront payment at the auction of coal blocks for commercial... 

Coal India likely to miss production target

State-run miner Coal India Limited (CIL) will miss its production target of 660-million tons for 2019/20, expecting to notch up production of 640-million tons by end of the current financial year... 

Indian mining leases too small to be sustainable – FIMI

The size distribution of mining leases in India are so small that these neither sustainable, nor mined scientifically, according to Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI). According to... 

Ministry pushes for uniform natural gas tax regime in Indian Budget

India’s Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry is making a renewed bid to get natural gas, petroleum and allied products included in goods and services tax (GST) in the national Budget to be placed by... 

Qatar not to accede to Indian demand seeking renegotiations of LNG contracts

Qatar, the largest supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to India, has turned down a request from the latter to renegotiate long-term supply contracts. India demanded that the pricing mechanism... 

Coal India gains environmental approvals for 17 projects

The Indian government has accorded environmental clearances to 17 mining projects of State-run, Coal India Limited, paving the way for the miner to achieve production of one-billion tons a year.... 

Mining's contribution to India's GDP falling

The mining sector’s contribution to India’s gross domestic product (GDP) has been falling over the past several years, largely owing to the under-exploration of obvious geological potential and... 

ONGC gets 28 bids to partner in developing small, marginal oil, gas fields

India’s State-run oil and natural gas exploration and production (E&P) major, ONGC, has received 28 bids for 50 oil and natural gas blocks of the total 64 small and marginal fields that it had put... 

Court paves way for Vedanta to source alumina from competitor Nalco

India’s Supreme Court has permitted Vedanta to bid for alumina from State-run National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) for the former’s bauxite starved smelters in the eastern state of Odisha.... 

India scraps green clearances for hydrocarbon exploratory projects

In a controversial move triggering ire among environmentalists, the Indian government has loosened key regulations for offshore and onshore hydrocarbon exploration. In a notification issued by the... 

India starts fifth round of bidding for 11 oil, gas blocks

The Indian government on Wednesday started the fifth round of international competitive bidding, offering 11 oil and natural gas fields for exploration and development under new financial terms.... 

Indian miners’ body calls for scrapping of copper concentrate import duty

India’s Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI), the apex representative body of miners, wants a 2.5% import duty on copper concentrates scrapped, questioning its economic rationale in view... 

India eases rules and throws open coal mining to all companies

India’s Coal Ministry has amended eligibility rules which in effect will enable any company – foreign and even non-coal dependent – to participate in coal block auctions and commercial mining in... 

India’s FIMI seeks slew of tax incentives to revive domestic mineral industry

The Federation of Indian Mineral Industries (FIMI) is seeking a slew of indirect tax incentives to revive the moribund mining industry. FIMI has submitted a list of changes in indirect tax levies... 

India faces acute shortage of manganese, chrome ore: FIMI

Indian steel production will be hit by an acute shortage of manganese and chrome ore and the demand supply imbalance will create unemployment over a long period, the Federation of Indian Mineral... 

India to set up ‘sustainable development cell’ for coal projects

The Indian government will set up a ‘sustainable development cell’ to ensure environmentally sustainable coal mining across the country. According to a statement issued by the Coal Ministry, the... 

India’s NMDC gets four iron-ore leases renewed

The government of Chhattisgarh has renewed the mining leases of four iron-ore mines in favour of NMDC, throwing a lifeline to the miner, already facing closure of one mine in the south. The... 

India’s Coal Ministry simplifies mining plan approval process for new projects

India’s Coal Ministry has slashed is mining plan preparation and approval process as part of series of measures to ‘improve the ease of doing business’ and to reduce the gestation period for new... 

India’s national auditor censures CIL for environmental protection breaches

India’s Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has censured sate-miner Coal India Limited (CIL) on environmental discipline, air quality monitoring, high polluting operations and contamination of... 

Nalco to start greenfield bauxite production in 2023

State-run National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco) will bring Pottangi greenfield bauxite mining project into production by 2023 to support raw material supplies for its alumina refinery plant in... 

CIL supply linkage rationalisation saves power stations costs

At least 58 thermal power plants in India have been able to save an estimated $531-million since Coal India Limited (CIL) started rationalising its coal supply linkages, the mining company has... 

Indian power plant coal stocks improve despite monsoon dislocations

Despite production disruptions during the monsoon season, coal stock availability at thermal power plants across the country has shown marked improvement, Indian Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi has... 

Odisha to hold fresh bids for 20 mineral blocks after complaints of anti-competitive practices

The government of eastern Indian state of Odisha has cancelled the bidding process for 20 iron-ore and manganese mining leases, which had been put up for auction in October last year, following... 

Under pressure to develop or relinquish, CIL commits fresh capex to complete projects

Stung by a government directive to either develop or relinquish, State-run Coal India Limited (CIL) has earmarked capital expenditure (capex) of $7.89-billion to complete 66 ongoing projects... 

India plans synergies between oil companies through equity cross holding

India’s second largest oil and gas exploration and production company, State-run Oil India Limited (OIL), will pick up a majority stake in standalone oil refinery, Numaligarh Refineries Limited... 

India to open up potash mining for private miners

The government of the central Indian state of Rajasthan has taken a policy decision to open up potash mining to private miners through the auction of reserves. Currently, India is entirely import... 

Indian State coal miners to hold special supply auctions for stressed power stations

India’s Coal Ministry has directed State-run miners Coal India Limited and Singareni Collieries Company Limited to hold special auctions for coal supply to power projects categorised as... 

Goa iron-ore miners body demands mining legislation amendment

The apex body representing miners and dependants in Goa has urged the central government to amend the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act (MMDRA) 2015, as it is seen as the only way... 

Indian power plant coal stocks improve despite monsoon dislocations

Despite production disruptions during the monsoon season, coal stock availability at thermal power plants across the country has shown marked improvement, Indian Coal Minister Prahlad Joshi has...