India is currently the third largest producer of coal in the world. According to the country's Central Electricity Authority, there is enough coal being mined at present to keep power plants running till 2022.
Under the Paris Agreement – a United Nations framework on tackling climate change – which India has signed and ratified, the country agreed to limit fossil fuels to 40 percent of its overall energy usage by 2030. At present, fossil fuels make up over 70 percent of India's energy usage, and the country continues to expand its coal-powered electric grid. The government claims that such expansion is necessary for India's development needs, arguing that developed countries must bear a greater share of the cost of transition to clean energy.