New Delhi, November 28 (Udaipur Kiran): In a major step towards accelerating coal mining and strengthening self-reliance, the Central Government has expanded the scope of accredited prospecting agencies by including 18 private institutions in the list of authorised agencies.

The Ministry of Coal said in a statement issued on Friday that 18 additional private companies have been notified as Accredited Prospecting Agencies (APAs) with the objective of speeding up coal mine exploration and enabling faster operationalisation. The notification issued by the Ministry is available on its official website.

As per the notification issued on November 26, 2025, under the second proviso of Section 4(1) of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, 1957, private institutions accredited by QCI-NABET (Quality Council of India – National Accreditation Board for Education and Training) have been officially authorised to undertake mineral exploration activities. With this, 18 more agencies will now be available for coal and lignite exploration, providing coal block allottees with a wider choice for appointing agencies for exploration work.

The newly accredited agencies include Indian Mine Planning and Consultants, Kolkata; Merox Mining Solutions Private Limited, Gurugram; United Exploration India Private Limited, Kolkata; Maheshwari Mining Private Limited, Kolkata; Natural Resources Division – Tata Steel Limited, East Singhbhum; Mining Associates Private Limited, Bidwan; REMCO Coal Exploration Private Limited, Chandrapur; South West Geological Exploration Limited, Gurugram; Geotechnical Mining Solutions, Dharmapuri; Novomine India Private Limited, East Khasi Hills; Surmine Consulting Private Limited, Delhi; Kartikeya Exploration and Mining Services Private Limited, Nagpur; Mining Tech Consultancy Services Private Limited, Ahmedabad; James Projects Private Limited, Ranchi; Revel Consulting Private Limited, Ahmedabad; CMMCO Technology Services Limited, Hyderabad; Jasni Geotech Private Limited, Nagpur; and APC Drilling and Construction Private Limited, Namakkal.

The Ministry of Coal said that the inclusion of these agencies will save nearly six months of time, which was earlier required for obtaining licences by agencies. By expanding the group of authorised prospecting agencies, the government aims to utilise private sector resources and promote efficiency, competitiveness and technological innovation in exploration.

The move is expected to significantly accelerate exploration activities and help in the faster expansion of mining operations, leading to improved resource development and increased availability of coal and lignite in the country. This will contribute to meeting the country’s growing energy requirements through enhanced availability of coal and lignite.

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