Hyderabad/Kolkata, November 1, 2025:
Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy virtually addressed the 51st Foundation Day celebrations of Coal India Limited (CIL) held in Kolkata, extending his greetings to all employees, officers, and members of the Coal India family. He hailed the “energy warriors” of the company for their relentless service in ensuring the nation’s energy security under challenging conditions.

“Coal is the backbone of India’s power sector,” the Minister said. “For the past 51 years, Coal India has provided invaluable services to the country and has become the largest coal-producing company in the world.”

Kishan Reddy emphasized that while India must meet its growing energy demands, it must also focus on *climate change mitigation and energy transition goals. He noted that electricity consumption and demand are expected to surge by **2030, making it essential to ensure *affordable and accessible power for all.

He said the government’s primary goal is to achieve self-sufficiency in power generation by reducing dependence on imports and simultaneously working to increase coal exports. “Every step we take must involve innovation, technology, and policy reform,” he added.

Highlighting the sector’s progress, the Minister stated that India has *389 billion tonnes of coal reserves, and **commercial mining production has increased by 30% in the past five years. Under *Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership, several transformative reforms have been implemented in the coal sector:

• Integration of supply chains through the Koyla Shakti Dashboard
• AI-based Command and Control Centres to monitor operations
• Coal Index-based Trading System to ensure price transparency

Calling for a smarter and greener future, Kishan Reddy urged Coal India to leverage technology and innovation to evolve into a global leader in sustainable coal mining.

“The coming decade will be the decade of clean coal energy,” he said. “By 2070, we aim to achieve net-zero emissions, and Coal India must lead this vision of Prime Minister Modi.”

He encouraged the adoption of solar power plants, green belts, CNG, and electric vehicles (EVs) to reduce carbon emissions and promote environmental sustainability.

The Minister also highlighted initiatives for *mine closure and land rehabilitation, transforming old mining areas into eco-friendly zones. He announced that the *ex-gratia for workers’ families has been *raised from ₹15 lakh to ₹25 lakh, and a *uniform policy has been introduced to ensure equality among workers.

Through digital initiatives like e-Nivaran (for retired employees) and the CLIP portal (for contractual workers), Coal India is ensuring inclusive support mechanisms for its workforce.

Kishan Reddy noted that Coal India has spent ₹6,400 crore under CSR initiatives, significantly contributing to education and healthcare across the nation.

Looking ahead, the Minister expressed confidence that by *2047, as India reaches the milestone of a **developed nation (Viksit Bharat), Coal India will have transformed into a *smart, green, and digital mining powerhouse.

“By then, Coal India will complete 73 glorious years and stand as a symbol of pride for our nation,” he concluded.