Coking Coal Declared a Critical Mineral | 02 Feb 2026

Source: PIB 

The Government of India has declared Coking Coal a Critical and Strategic Mineral under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 (MMDR) to reduce import reliance and support the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat 2047. 

• Using Section 11C of the MMDR Act, 1957 the government amended its First Schedule to explicitly include "Coking Coal" within the definition of "Coal" in Part A and to list it separately as a Critical and Strategic Mineral in Part D.  

Coking Coal 

• About: Coking coal (metallurgical coal) is a specialized grade of bituminous coal that undergoes carbonization to produce coke, an irreplaceable material for reducing iron ore to pig iron in traditional blast furnace steelmaking. 
• Properties: Its value lies in unique caking properties (softening and swelling when heated) and low impurities (low ash, sulfur, phosphorus). 
• Steel Production Link: Approximately 780 kg of coking coal is needed to produce one tonne of steel, underscoring its direct strategic importance to the steel industry. 
• Global Production: The largest producers of coking coal include China, Australia, Russia, USA and Canada. 
• Indian Scenario: India, the world’s 2nd-largest crude steel producer, is heavily dependent on imported coking coal, with nearly 95% of the steel sector’s requirement met through imports, a significant share of which comes from Australia. 
  • Coking coal imports have increased steadily, reaching 57.58 million tonnes in 2024–25, highlighting India’s growing import dependence despite substantial domestic resources. 
  • India holds an estimated 37.37 billion tonnes of coking coal resources, primarily in Jharkhand, with reserves in Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, and Chhattisgarh.