New Delhi: Vikram Dev Dutt, a senior civil servant, officially took on the role of secretary to the Union ministry of coal on Monday.
A member of the 1993-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer of the Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram and Union Territory (AGMUT) cadre, Dutt previously served as the director general of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA).
He has succeeded V.L. Kantha Rao, who now serves as the secretary of the ministry of mines. Rao had been handling the additional charge of the ministry of coal following the appointment of the previous secretary, Amrit Lal Meena, as the chief secretary of Bihar in August.
Dutt steps into his new role at a critical juncture, as the government aims to boost India’s coal production and decrease import reliance. The Center has set a target of 1.08 million tonnes for FY25, with plans to increase annual production to 1.5 million tonnes by FY30.
In the previous fiscal year, coal production reached a record high of 997.4 million tonnes, demonstrating an 11.67% increase from FY23.
Efforts are also underway to attract more investors to participate in commercial mine auctions. The 10th round of auctions received a total of 44 bids, with bidding officially commencing on Monday.
During the 10th round, a total of 67 coal blocks were auctioned. In August, it was reported that the ministry plans to offer over 50 blocks in the upcoming 11th round of auctions.
Notably, coal production from both captive and commercial blocks saw a 32% year-on-year increase during the first half of FY25 (1 April to 30 September), rising from 60.52 million tonnes to 79.72 million tonnes. Similarly, coal dispatches grew by 34%, from 65.37 million tonnes to 87.86 million tonnes during the same period.
Dutt’s appointment aligns with the ministry’s dual focus on ramping up production and exploring alternative, more environmentally friendly applications of coal, particularly through coal gasification. Public sector coal companies are also transitioning to renewable energy sources like solar power and exploring potential uses for closed mines, such as pumped storage projects.
