NEW DELHI: In a major push to transform India’s energy landscape, the Ministry of Coal is organizing a high-level industry roadshow in New Delhi on May 28, 2026. The event will focus on accelerating the newly launched Scheme for Promotion of Surface Coal/Lignite Gasification Projects, which carries a massive central financial outlay of ₹37,500 crore.
The roadshow is a strategic effort to build a robust domestic coal gasification ecosystem, steering the country toward cleaner utilization of its vast fossil fuel reserves. Union Minister of Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy, alongside Minister of State Satish Chandra Dubey and Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt, will lead the deliberations.
The Macro Picture: Targets and Investment Mobilization
The financial and operational scale of the promotional scheme marks an aggressive upgrade to India’s long-term energy security strategy:
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The 2030 Horizon: The scheme serves as the primary engine to achieve the national target of gasifying 100 Million Tonnes (MT) of coal by 2030.
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Capital Attraction: The government expects the scheme to mobilize total investments worth ₹2.5 lakh crore to ₹3 lakh crore, funding nearly 25 massive projects across various coal-bearing states.
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Fiscal & Jobs Multiplier: At peak capacity, the initiative is projected to generate 50,000 direct and indirect jobs. Utilizing 75 MT of coal under this framework will yield an estimated ₹6,300 crore annually in direct revenue, supplemented by significant downstream GST and state levies.
Why Coal Gasification Matters: Reducing Import Dependence
Coal gasification is a chemical process that breaks down domestic coal and lignite into syngas (synthesis gas). This syngas acts as a fundamental building block for downstream industrial commodities, drastically cutting India’s reliance on expensive foreign imports:
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Petrochemical Feedstock: It enables the domestic production of methanol, ammonia, synthetic natural gas, and clean chemical feedstocks.
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Agricultural Support: The process will secure a steady domestic supply of urea and fertilizers, buffering the agricultural sector against global supply shocks.
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Energy Security: Increased syngas and cleaner fuel production will directly offset India’s massive Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) import bills.
Building on Policy Foundations
The ₹37,500 crore promotion scheme significantly expands upon existing policy architecture laid down over the last few years:
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National Coal Gasification Mission (2021): Established the baseline regulatory and operational framework for cleaner coal technologies.
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The January 2024 Scheme: Approved an initial ₹8,500 crore allocation. Under this, eight major projects are already being executed, utilizing earmarked incentives worth ₹6,233 crore.
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The 2026 Expansion: The current scheme vastly expands financial support, offering broader capital and technology incentives to pull in private developers, technology providers, and global financial institutions.
The roadshow will serve as a critical match-making platform for state officials, investors, and engineers to finalize technology transfers and explore corporate partnerships, advancing the national vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat in the energy sector.
