Mumbai: Coal India Ltd (CIL) announced on 30 June 2026 its plan to invest approximately Rs 1,900 crore in research and development (R&D) activities by fiscal year 2030. The company aims to shift R&D to a higher orbit to drive future growth and technological transformation, a senior CIL official said.
Increased R&D Spending
CIL's R&D expenditure quadrupled to Rs 245 crore in FY2024-25, up from Rs 61 crore in FY2023-24. The Department of Public Enterprises mandates annual R&D expenditure to average one percent of the preceding three years' Profit Before Tax.
National Research Centre Established
The company established the National Centre for Coal and Energy Research (NaCCER) in FY2024-25. NaCCER functions as a hub-and-spoke modelled R&D centre, shifting CIL's focus from proof-of-concept studies to prototype development at Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-4 and above.
Centres of Excellence at IITs
CIL has set up three Centres of Excellence (CoE) at premier IITs: the Centre of Clean Coal Energy and Net Zero (CLEANZ) Hyderabad, the Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) Madras, and Innovation in Mining (IMiN) at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. CIL has committed Rs 253 crore to these CoEs, to be released in phases.
Research Focus Areas
CLEANZ is researching clean coal energy and net-zero technologies, including enhanced coal bed methane recovery, carbon capture, utilisation and storage, and rare earth element recovery. CSE focuses on sustainable materials, circular economy, and mine repurposing, while IMiN is dedicated to capacity building and mining challenge solutions.
Ongoing Projects and Collaborations
Currently, 19 R&D projects with a total outlay of Rs 225 crore are being executed by scientific institutions under NaCCER's oversight. Additionally, 13 pilot-scale research projects are underway in the CoEs. CIL has also forged international collaborations with Ergo Exergy, Canada; Ericsson, Sweden; and CSIRO, Australia.
Disclaimer: This story is based on company exchange filings and is for informational purposes only. Investors should evaluate risks before making decisions.
