Coal India’s Tech Push From Smart Mining to Critical Minerals and Advanced Materials

Coal India Limited (CIL) is expanding its activities beyond conventional coal mining into energy, minerals, advanced materials and research and development, with projects covering renewable energy, storage and critical minerals.

The company’s R&D framework is now guided by its R&D Policy and Guidelines of 2026, which prioritise projects at Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 and above.

The policy’s thrust areas include mine planning, productivity, safety and exploration, artificial intelligence, machine learning and Internet of Things-based smart mining, environment and sustainability, waste-to-wealth, technology innovation and indigenisation, alternative uses of coal, renewable energy, and clean coal, beneficiation and mineral processing.

CIL’s R&D ecosystem is coordinated through NaCCER, a hub connecting CIL Centres of Excellence, IITs and NITs, CSIR laboratories, research institutions, incubation centres and start-ups.

The company supports Centres of Excellence including the CIL Centre of Sustainable Energy at IIT Madras, CLEANZ at IIT Hyderabad, and centres at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. Areas of work include sustainable materials, mine repurposing, clean coal technology, Mining 4.0, Internet of Things, smart mines, 5G, immersive technologies, innovation, prototyping and automation.

CIL’s R&D portfolio comprises 20 projects with an approved outlay of Rs 231 crore. Initiatives include underground coal gasification at Kasta West, 5G captive networks for mines, bifacial perovskite solar cells, and artificial intelligence for critical minerals.

R&D expenditure stood at Rs 183.88 crore in FY 2025-26, while planned expenditure is Rs 225 crore for FY 2026-27.

During FY 2026-27, CIL filed five patents, with two additional patents under process. One patent for bifacial perovskite solar cells was granted, while technology for Velocity of Detonation measurement equipment was transferred for commercial use.

CIL is also pursuing opportunities in graphite and rare earths. It aims to establish an integrated graphite value chain covering mining, beneficiation, purification, spheronisation, coating and production of anode materials.