Coal for Make in India: Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena underlined the role of the coal industry in boosting the government's Make in India campaign during a stakeholders' meeting in Chennai. 

Addressing the gathering, Meena highlighted the significance of infrastructure development, technological advancement, and investment prospects within the coal sector. He called for collaborative efforts between public and private entities to ensure sustainable growth and energy security. 

Meena also shared the opportunities available for both domestic and international manufacturers in producing heavy earth-moving machinery and underground mining equipment. 

Coal India Limited (CIL) continues to rely on imports for high-capacity Heavy Earth Moving Machinery (HEMM), such as 20 cubic meter rope shovels, 190T dumpers, 850 HP dozers, 550 HP motor graders, and 10 cubic meter front-end loaders, along with 460 HP wheel dozers.

The annual average import expenditure for these HEMM stands at approximately Rs. 750 Crores, incurring a custom duty expense of around Rs. 250 Crores. To mitigate this dependency, CIL has initiated trial orders to incentivise domestic manufacturers to develop these equipment within India. Encouragingly, the outcomes of these efforts have been promising, reflecting a positive step towards enhancing indigenous production capabilities in the country.

Make in India is a government initiative that aims to foster the development, manufacturing, and assembly of products within the country while incentivising investments in the manufacturing sector.

(With PTI inputs)