A view of the SECL coal mine. South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) is aiming to complete its listing on stock exchanges within “this year or so”, its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Harish Duhan told reporters. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) is aiming to complete its listing on stock exchanges within “this year or so”, its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) Harish Duhan told reporters on Friday (February 20, 2026), adding that he is confident that the IPO would receive an enthusiastic response.
In response to a query from The Hindu, Mr. Duhan observed that in the recent past Coal India’s subsidiary Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) received a very enthusiastic response and that he felt SECL would also be able to follow a similar trajectory.
“We are confident [because] if you see in the recent past BCCL’s initial public offering (IPO) received a very enthusiastic response,” he stated, adding, “Further, if you look at SECL’s coal reserves, spectrum of the grades of coal we produce, our overall resources, and being located in Central India we have our customers all across [the country], we are, therefore, are very confident about receiving a similar enthusiastic response.”
“We are confident our IPO would also receive an equally good response as the BCCL listing. We are targeting that we would be able to complete listing within a year or so,” the SECL Chairman stated.
Further, speaking to The Hindu later on Saturday (February 21) about SECL’s intent behind the listing, he said, “The capital we generate from the IPO would be utilised for expansion of current projects, [acquire] newer technologies and land acquisition.” He further added, “A major part would be used to pursue diversification.”
Mr. Duhan explained, “In the coming future, SECL would not just be a coal-producing company but an integrated energy company. That’s the vision with which we having the IPO.”
For context, earlier this year, in January, Coal India-subsidiary Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) had debuted on the bourses at a 96% premium.
The Bilaspur (Chhattisgarh)-headquartered subsidiary of Coal India had received an in-principle approval from the parent company to enter bourses in December last year. This was part of the Ministry of Coal’s broader objective to also list Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL).
(The reporter was in Bilaspur at the invitation of the Ministry of Coal)
Published – February 21, 2026 11:45 am IST
