Former CMD of Coal India at Explained.Live as we speak

Coal shares on the nation’s thermal vegetation are bettering after a tough month, during which numerous states needed to resort to load shedding as vegetation ran out of the gas.
While the coal inventory place is bettering, the scarcity at vegetation has solely emphasised the significance of the gas within the energy sector, even because the nation is shifting in direction of boosting the share of renewables in its energy combine.
As the financial system recovers from the pandemic, energy demand has risen sharply to properly above pre-pandemic ranges, forcing coal-fired vegetation to lift manufacturing and meet rising demand.
Supply-side elements, together with an extended monsoon and excessive international coal costs, put additional strain on these vegetation. While the federal government has mentioned shares at Coal India Ltd (CIL), the close to monopoly provider of coal, are adequate to satisfy demand, CIL’s annual output has stagnated over the previous few years, from 606 million tonnes (mt) in FY19 to 602 mt in FY20 and 596 mt in FY21.
CIL has moved to diversify its enterprise into renewables and different areas, together with fertilisers, whereas relooking at plans to achieve 1 billion tonnes of coal output by FY24, citing low offtake points.
How can we keep away from a repeat of the coal scarcity? Could the federal government’s rising emphasis on renewables put monetary pressure on thermal energy technology firms? What function will coal play in India’s energy combine going ahead?
The Indian Express has invited Partha Sarathi Bhattacharyya, former Chairman and Managing Director of Coal India, to reply a few of these essential questions.
As CMD, he oversaw the landmark IPO of Coal India in 2010 — nonetheless the largest-ever IPO of an Indian firm. CIL’s efficiency improved throughout his tenure, with income rising from Rs 1,711.7 crore in FY06 to Rs 3,779.9 crore in FY11. He additionally led a turnaround at CIL subsidiary Bharat Coking Coal Ltd, main it to revenue for the primary time in FY06.

Explained.Live is a singular collection of explanatory conversations that The Indian Express hosts.
On Friday, Bhattacharyya shall be in dialog with Karunjit Singh, senior correspondent, The Indian Express.