Indian coal block auction faces tepid response, Coal Ministry relaxes rules

India’s ongoing auction of 27 coal blocks with end-use restrictions has evoked a tepid response from prospective developers with 45 bids received for the assets on offer, prompting the Coal Ministry to further tweak auction rules. According to information available from government sources, only six of the 27 coal blocks received an “adequate number of bids” with another six blocks evoking interest from state and central government undertakings.