Top Indian miner’s renewable plan looks at a future beyond coal

Coal India Ltd., the world’s largest producer of the commodity, has sought bids to build 5 gigawatts of renewable projects, an effort to diversify its portfolio in view of a possible decline in future coal demand.

The state-owned company sought expressions of interest for the construction of 3 gigawatts of solar and 2 gigawatts of wind projects, according to documents posted on the company’s tender portal on Tuesday. The last date for bid submissions is Sept. 16.

The miner’s most ambitious green plan yet comes as it faces muted demand and shrinking market share due to competition and a growing renewable fleet in the country. That has forced it to look beyond coal mining and explore opportunities in critical minerals as well as power generation.

The company has doubled its renewable targets in the past year, aiming to install 9.5 gigawatts of capacity by March 2030, its filings show. It has 209 megawatts of solar power generation, according to its latest annual report published last month.

“India’s clean energy transition has accelerated,” the company said in the report. “This shift raises concerns over long-term coal demand visibility, as renewables, storage, and smart grids reshape the power sector.”

Growing output from rivals is making matters worse for the company. The miner produced about 75% of the nation’s coal in the year through March 2025, a share that has been steadily declining in the past few years.