Coal Ministry launches 16th round of commercial coal mine auctions with 25 blocks; CMDPAs signed for six mines
On 17 September 2026, the Ministry of Coal launched the 16th round of commercial coal mine auctions in New Delhi, offering 25 coal blocks across nine states, and handed over Coal Mine Development and Production Agreements (CMDPAs) for six mines.
Summary
The 16th round of commercial coal mine auctions was launched by Minister of State for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey. The round offers 25 blocks — 21 fully explored and four partially explored — in Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Telangana and West Bengal. CMDPAs were also executed for six mines auctioned earlier, including Tara (Revised), Margo West and Margo East. Together the six mines hold about 1,504 million tonnes of geological reserves, with a peak rated capacity of 11.62 MTPA and an expected 15,700 jobs.
Key facts
- Round
- 16th round of commercial coal mine auctions — 17 Sep 2026
- Blocks offered
- 25 (21 fully explored, 4 partially explored) in 9 states
- Launched by
- MoS Coal & Mines Satish Chandra Dubey
- CMDPAs
- 6 mines — reserves ~1,504 MT, PRC 11.62 MTPA
- Expected benefits
- ~₹1,984 crore annual revenue, ~₹1,743 crore investment, ~15,700 jobs
Practice MCQs 3 questions
How many coal blocks are offered in the 16th round of commercial coal mine auctions launched on 17 September 2026?
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Correct answer: A — 25
The 16th round offers 25 blocks — 21 fully explored and four partially explored.
Who launched the 16th round of commercial coal mine auctions on 17 September 2026?
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Correct answer: C — Satish Chandra Dubey
MoS for Coal and Mines Satish Chandra Dubey launched the round; Vikram Dev Dutt is Secretary, Ministry of Coal.
Consider the following about the 16th round of commercial coal mine auctions: 1. All blocks offered in the round are fully explored. 2. The blocks are spread across five coal-bearing states. Which of the above is/are correct?
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Correct answer: D — Neither 1 nor 2
Neither is correct. Four of the 25 blocks are partially explored, and the blocks are spread across nine states.