Coal India has intensified its Research & Development (R&D) initiatives, planning to invest a total of around ₹1,900 crore by FY2030 to drive technological transformation and future growth. The company's R&D expenditure increased four-fold to ₹245 crore in FY 2024-25, up from ₹61 crore in FY 2023-24, reflecting a significant shift in focus from proof-of-concept studies to prototype development corresponding to Technology Readiness Level (TRL)-4 and above.

Strategic R&D Framework

The company's transformational R&D thrust gathered momentum in FY 2024-25 with the establishment of the National Centre for Coal and Energy Research (NaCCER), operating on a hub-and-spoke model. To strengthen industry-academia collaboration, Coal India has set up three Centres of Excellence (CoE) at premier IITs: Centre of Clean Coal Energy and Net Zero (CLEANZ) in Hyderabad, Centre for Sustainable Energy (CSE) in Madras, and Innovation in Mining (IMiN) at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. The Department of Public Enterprises mandates annual R&D expenditure averaging one percent of the Profit Before Tax of the preceding three years.

Projects and Collaborations

Coal India has committed ₹253 crore, to be released in phases, to the CoEs. Currently, 19 R&D projects with a total outlay of ₹225 crore are being executed by scientific institutions under NaCCER, alongside 13 pilot-scale research projects in the CoEs. The research portfolio spans clean coal energy, carbon capture, rare earth recovery, and sustainable materials. International collaborations include partnerships with Ergo Exergy (Canada) for underground coal gasification, Ericsson (Sweden) for 5G technologies, and CSIRO (Australia) for collaborative research.

Coal India Ltd has appointed M/s Bandyopadhyaya Bhaumik & Co. as its cost auditor for the financial year 2026-27 to ensure compliance with cost audit regulations. The decision was taken by the Board during its meeting held on June 16, 2026, based on the recommendations of the Audit Committee. The firm will conduct the cost audit for the company's standalone financial statements.

The appointment was disclosed to the stock exchanges pursuant to Regulation 30 of the SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations. The disclosure confirms that there is no change in the cost auditor for FY 2026-27 compared to the preceding financial year, FY 2025-26.

M/s Bandyopadhyaya Bhaumik & Co., a firm founded in 1994, brings over three decades of experience to the role. The firm holds registration number 000041 and offers a range of services including Cost Audit, Internal Audit, and Risk Management. Its team comprises professionals such as engineers, valuers, lawyers, cost accountants, and chartered accountants.

The firm has significant experience working with leading Navratna and Maharatna PSUs, as well as private sector companies. It provides tailored solutions for diverse industries, including Oil & Gas, Chemicals & Fertilisers, Construction, and Real Estate.

The disclosure further confirmed that there are no relationships between the directors of Coal India and the appointed cost auditor firm.

Key Details of Appointment