India invites Australia to participate in commercial coal mining

Union minister Pralhad Joshi on Friday said India has invited Australia to participate in the commercial coal mining and other strategic projects related to mines and minerals.

In his meeting with Australian minister for resources Keith Pitt, India's Coal and Mines Minister Joshi deliberated on increasing cooperation in areas of strategic minerals.

"Had a virtual meeting with Mr. @keithjpittMP, Minister for Resources, Australia. We discussed enhancing strategic collaboration between organisations of both the countries on coal, critical and strategic minerals and related technologies," Joshi tweeted.

"Invited Australia to participate in the ongoing global tender for commercial mining, coal gasification and coal to chemical projects and bring new technologies to these projects," he said in another tweet.

Joshi further said that he also held discussions on active cooperation in strategic minerals especially lithium and cobalt for EV mobility.

The government has launched the auction process for coal blocks for commercial mining, a move that opens India's coal sector for private players.

The coal ministry this month revised the list of mines to be auctioned for commercial mining and now 38 blocks would go under the hammer instead of 41 mines announced earlier.