IEX moves to enter coal market, seeks licence for physical trading exchange

The proposed platform will bring coal buyers and sellers onto a single marketplace and facilitate trades at designated delivery points, opening another exchange-based avenue for coal transactions.

“Indian Coal Exchange will be a physical delivery-based coal trading exchange, providing an organised, transparent and technology-enabled marketplace for coal trading,” IEX said. The platform will operate under the Coal Exchange Rules, 2026.

The company said bringing buyers and sellers together on a “single, neutral platform” would enable efficient price discovery and wider market access.

Indian Coal Exchange was incorporated on June 1, 2026, with an authorised share capital of Rs 100 crore. The licence application marks IEX Group’s first move into coal, extending its presence beyond power and natural gas trading.

“The Indian Coal Exchange will mark the Group’s entry into the coal market,” IEX said, adding that the new platform would broaden its offerings across the energy value chain.

IEX already operates a nationwide automated platform for physical delivery of electricity and renewable power, besides renewable energy certificates and energy-saving certificates. Its group presence also includes the Indian Gas Exchange (IGX), which provides a natural gas trading platform, while IEX facilitates issuance of I-RECs in India.

The company said the coal exchange would draw on its 18 years of experience in building technology-driven and market-based trading platforms.

IEX said its exchange model is aimed at improving transparency, accessibility and speed of transactions through market-based price discovery.

The electricity exchange has been regulated by the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission since June 27, 2008, while IEX has been listed on the NSE and BSE since October 2017.