Coal e-auction, SODO and lifting

Besides long-term linkages, coal companies sell coal through online auctions. Coal India's route is the Single Window Mode Agnostic (SWMA) e-auction, introduced under Ministry of Coal guidelines of 21 March 2022 and set out in the CIL e-Auction Scheme 2022 — most recently updated by Coal India's notice of 15 May 2026. Bidders register with the service provider appointed by the coal companies.

In the current scheme, road bids start at 50 tonnes (clause 3.2). A successful bidder deposits the coal value within ten working days of the auction closing (clause 5.3), and for road supplies the coal company issues the Sale / Delivery Order (SO/DO — often called SODO in the trade) within seven days of receiving payment (clause 6.4).

Lifting has to happen within the validity set in the scheme: by road, 45 days from the date the Sale / Delivery Order is issued (clause 7.2); rail has its own consent, allotment and loading periods (clause 7.5). If a buyer lifts less than 90% of the booked quantity within validity, the proportionate security for the shortfall is forfeited (clauses 7.10 and 9.4) — which is why buyers watch the lifting balance and validity days closely.

Buyers can opt, at the time of bidding, for third-party sampling at the delivery point; where the result shows a different grade from the declared one, the difference is settled by a debit or credit note (clauses 11.8.2 and 11.8.6).

Auction schemes, eligibility and terms change from time to time. Always read the current scheme document and notices on the official portal before bidding.