In an exclusive interview with The New Indian Express, Coal Secretary Amrit Lal Meena revealed that India’s coal production surged by 12.33% to 702.50 MT during 2023-24, achieving 70% of its annual target in just nine months. Meena emphasized the government’s strategies to boost domestic production, reduce import dependency, and ease transportation bottlenecks. He highlighted the growth in coal supplies, the impact of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor on logistics, and plans for the upcoming year, aiming to enhance production to 1.31 billion tonnes by 2024-25. The interview also touched on coal imports, coal gasification efforts, and India’s net-zero goal.