India, July 29 -- The Government of India has issued a release:
The Coal Exchange Rules, 2026, notified under Section 18B of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957 by the Ministry of Coal on 04.06.2026, establish a comprehensive regulatory framework to promote transparent and efficient trading of coal or lignite and its processed forms.
The salient features of the Coal Exchange Rules, 2026 are as follows:
The estimated timeline for operationalisation of regulated coal exchange is 12 months from the date of receipt of an application, for registration of Coal exchange, on dedicated online application platform opened on 15.07.2026.
Any entity, including captive and commercial miners, consumers including small and medium consumers in the non-regulated sector can transact, trade and enter into delivery-based contracts on the Coal Exchange(s). The price discovery of the coal traded or transacted on the Coal Exchange shall be undertaken by the Coal Exchange through a mechanism that ensures fair, neutral, competitive and efficient prices. The bidding and price discovery mechanisms shall be conducted in accordance with the procedure approved by the Authority. The final price of the traded coal shall be adjusted in accordance with the quality of the coal traded, based on the price-adjustment mechanism of the contract executed and the quality certification issued by the coal sampling agency. The market oversight mechanism and market surveillance as envisioned in the 'Coal Exchange Rules, 2026' will prevent any market manipulation/abuse to bring transparency in the Coal Exchange ecosystem. Public Sector coal companies and small and medium consumers in the non-regulated sector may also leverage this platform to enhance market participation.
This information was given by Union Minister of State for Coal and Mines Shri Satish Chandra Dubey in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Disclaimer: Curated by HT Syndication.
