India, May 21 -- India's coal story is both fascinating and disturbing. The country sits on one of the world's largest coal reserves - approximately 401 billion tonnes, enough to last over two centuries at current consumption rates. And yet, every year, we spend upward of Rs 12 lakh crore importing crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), fertilizers, and petrochemicals. Coal gasification can correct this dependence and that is exactly what Govt of India wants to do now.

As we know, the global energy landscape has undergone seismic shifts since 2022. Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Middle East crisis have squeezed the chokepoint through which over 20 per cent of the world's oil flows, including a large share of India's crude supply....