SECL Coal Mine Launches DigiCoal For Digital Transparency
In a significant leap for India’s coal mining sector, South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) has rolled out DigiCoal, a digital platform designed to enhance transparency, operational efficiency and real-time data access across its sprawling coal operations. The initiative marks a rare convergence of legacy extractive industries and modern digital tools, with implications for safety, governance and data-driven decision-making in one of the country’s most coal-dependent regions.
Coal production and supply remain central to India’s energy security, industrial output and employment in central and eastern India. SECL — the largest subsidiary of Coal India Limited — accounts for a significant share of thermal coal output, serving power utilities and industrial consumers. DigiCoal aims to bring real-time monitoring, automated reporting and analytics to sites that have historically relied on manual supervision and traditional record-keeping.At its core, the platform aggregates operational data — including production volumes, equipment performance and logistics movements — into a unified digital dashboard accessible to managers and oversight bodies. By digitising workflows previously captured on paper or disparate systems, SECL expects improvements in accountability, planning accuracy and compliance with regulatory standards.
A senior official involved in the rollout explained that enhanced visibility across the coal value chain reduces information asymmetry and supports proactive interventions, especially in safety-critical activities such as blasting, haulage and pit operations. “Digital traceability is critical to reducing risk and improving responsiveness,” the official noted, highlighting how near-real-time insights can shorten response times in dynamic mine environments.For employees and contractors, the platform may also streamline routine tasks such as shift reporting and inventory tracking, reducing administrative burden and enabling a more data-informed workforce. Digital records can strengthen oversight of environmental compliance measures, from dust suppression to water management, aligning operational practices with evolving environmental norms.
Industry analysts see DigiCoal as part of a broader push to modernise extractive sectors through digital tools, including the adoption of IoT sensors, remote monitoring and predictive analytics. In coal-centric states where mining underpins local economies, digital transformation can enhance operational efficiency without reducing workforce participation, so long as skills development accompanies technological deployment.However, digitisation in extractive industries is not without challenges. Integrating legacy systems, securing robust connectivity in remote mining zones and ensuring cybersecurity are essential for realising the full benefits of platforms like DigiCoal. Mining unions and workforce representatives may also seek assurances that digital tracking supports safety and productivity rather than punitive monitoring.
From a sustainability perspective, real-time data on emissions, waste generation and energy use can inform cleaner mining practices, even as thermal coal continues to play a substantial role in India’s energy mix. Better information can support compliance with environmental regulations and help utilities and policymakers plan coal use more efficiently, potentially reducing unnecessary extraction and transport emissions.As the energy transition accelerates, platforms that enhance digital transparency could help coal companies balance economic imperatives with evolving expectations around governance, safety and environmental stewardship. DigiCoal’s rollout demonstrates how digitalisation — often associated with next-generation industries — is increasingly relevant to legacy sectors grappling with operational complexity and stakeholder scrutiny.
