The Indian coal sector: challenges and future outlook
India can improve its coal supplies by adopting innovative mining practices and technologies and building better infrastructure for coal evacuation, besides streamlining environment-clearance procedures. Bottlenecks in domestic coal transportation and lack of proper road connectivity further heighten the challenge. Also, availability of railway wagons and a mismatch of demand and supply of wagons and coal offtake affect production capacity. Delay in mining activities at captive coal blocks and concerns relating to the increasing ash content of run-of-mine (ROM) coal hinder production, according to the report, 'The Indian Coal Sector: Challenges and Future Outlook', prepared by consulting firm PWC, in partnership with the Indian Chamber of Commerce.