NMDC to start commercial coal output next quarter
State-owned NMDC plans to commence commercial coal production by the October-December quarter, with the goal of selling up to 1 million tonnes of dry coal within the current fiscal year, according to Chairman Amitava Mukherjee. NMDC, the largest iron ore mining company in India, currently supplies 20% of the nation's iron ore requirements.
Speaking to PTI, Mukherjee explained that the company has a roadmap until 2030 to diversify its mining operations to support the government's vision of Viksit Bharat. Currently, NMDC focuses mainly on iron ore, but it intends to meet the growing demand for various minerals across industries.
This year, NMDC began the commercial mining of thermal coal and aims to sell a maximum of 1 million tonnes of the commodity. The company is also set to develop a coking coal mine by the end of the next fiscal year, with production beginning in FY28. Thermal coal is used for power generation, while coking coal is essential in steel manufacturing. In an auction conducted by the coal ministry, NMDC acquired the Tokisud North coal mine with 52 million tonnes of reserves and the Rohne coking coal block with 191 million tonnes.
Mukherjee emphasized that the company's ultimate goal is to become India's leading mineral mining enterprise. To achieve this, NMDC intends to secure more mineral opportunities both domestically and internationally. The chairman did not disclose further details regarding its diversification plans but highlighted the objective of generating at least 20% of its revenue from non-iron ore minerals by 2030.
In FY26, NMDC reported a 33% increase in total revenues to an all-time high of Rs 31,554 crore, up from Rs 23,668 crore in FY25.
As for the iron ore sector, Mukherjee stated that the company is on track to meet its objective of producing 100 million tonnes of iron ore by 2030. Currently, NMDC operates four major iron ore mining complexes in India, spread across Chhattisgarh (Bailadila sector) and Karnataka (Donimalai sector).
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