Dec 22: Day Two of UMMEED 2025, the International Conference and Exhibition on Underground Mining Mechanization and Automation, unfolded with impactful knowledge exchange and purposeful technical deliberations, reaffirming the conference’s role as a premier platform for advancing safe, sustainable and technology-driven mining practices.
The proceedings were held in the august presence of Shri Ujjwal Tah, DGMS DGMS, Shri Satish Jha,CMD, ECL & CMD, CMPDIL (Additional Charge), Shri Brajesh Kumar Tripathy, CVO, CIL, Dr B. Veera Reddy Advisor Ministry of Coal, Ex CMD ECL A Kalam, Subrato Chakravarty and Samarjit Chakraborty, Md. Anzar Alam, Director (Finance), ECL, Shri Niladri Roy, Director (Technical/OP), ECL, Shri Girish Gopinathan Nair, Director (Technical/P&P), ECL, senior officials from Directorate General of Mines Safety, Eastern Coalfields Limited, various subsidiaries of Coal India Limited, along with industry stalwarts, academicians from IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, former CMDs and Directors of CIL subsidiaries, Corporate JCC Members, Corporate Safety Board Members, Heads of Departments and employees of ECL.
The technical deliberations commenced with a keynote address by Shri R. T. Mandekar, DDG, North Western Zone, who delivered critical insights on “Safety Challenges”, highlighting the evolving dimensions of safety management in underground mining operations.
The discourse further progressed with a session on “Mine Developer & Operator (MDO) / Contract Mining”, with a keynote address by Shri Satish Jha, CMD, ECL and CMD, CMPDIL (Additional Charge), outlining strategic, operational and governance perspectives of the model. This was followed by an in-depth presentation on “Automation and Digitization” by Shri S. K. Chaulya, Scientist, Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research, emphasizing technology-led transformation to enhance productivity, efficiency and safety.
The technical sessions concluded with a focused and reflective insight on “Learning from the Past”, with keynote address Dr. B. Veera Reddy, Advisor, Ministry of Coal. Drawing from rich institutional experience, the session reinforced the importance of organizational learning in shaping the future trajectory of the mining sector.
The conference culminated with a solemn and graceful Valedictory Session in which vote of thanks was conveyed by Shri Bhartendu Kumar, General Manager (Excavation/IAD), ECL marking the successful conclusion of the two-day international event. The session reflected on the collective insights and outcomes of the conference and expressed sincere gratitude to the distinguished speakers, experts, partners and participants whose contributions ensured its success.
With a renewed sense of purpose and collaboration, UMMEED 2025 formally concluded, leaving behind a robust foundation for continued progress, innovation and excellence in the underground mining sector.