Coal India (CIL), the Maharatna PSU under the Ministry of Coal, celebrated 50 years of its establishment on November 1, 2025, marking the beginning of its 51st year. During a virtual address, Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy inaugurated two Mine Development and Operation (MDO) projects—Gopinathpur and Chinakuri—under CIL’s subsidiary Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), based on a revenue-sharing model.

He also launched ECL’s integrated control and command centre, featuring AI-enabled CCTV systems for real-time monitoring. Reddy highlighted CIL’s evolution from manual mining to automation-driven operations and emphasized the need for innovation, technology, and diversification amid the global energy transition.

CIL Chairman Sanoj Kumar Jha stated that CIL currently meets 55% of India’s energy needs and must expand into renewables, coal gasification, and critical minerals. As part of the celebration, CIL’s Central Mine Planning & Design Institute released a “Coal Atlas” showcasing updated geological and resource data.