There was a sudden fall in demand due to the pandemic, which had forced the miner's subsidiaries to slow down production and focus on other works like removal of overburden and strengthening of transportation infrastructure

Against all odds, including the slump in coal demand, the government opened up the country's mining sector for private players by auctioning 19 blocks

Coal India Ltd would be creating the post of Director (Business Development) which will identify and develop new business opportunities

The miner has dropped it down from the previously decided target of 710 million tonnes because of the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

The minister also said MCL, the subsidiary of state-run Coal India Limited (CIL), will invest more than Rs 9,000 crore in railway infrastructure projects and offer jobs to around 4000 land losers by 2024-25

A dive into the role of coal in a world dominated by renewables.