UMMEED 2025 Day Two Deepens Focus on Safety Excellence and Technological Advancement
Experts from DGMS, Coal India, ECL and IIT (ISM) deliberate on safety challenges, MDO models, automation and lessons from past mining practices
Day Two of UMMEED 2025, the International Conference and Exhibition on Underground Mining Mechanization and Automation, witnessed impactful knowledge exchange and high-level technical deliberations, reinforcing the conference’s standing as a premier platform for promoting safe, sustainable and technology-driven mining practices.
The proceedings were held in the august presence of Ujjwal Tah, Director General, Directorate General of Mines Safety (DGMS); Satish Jha, CMD, Eastern Coalfields Limited (ECL) and CMD, CMPDIL (Additional Charge); Brajesh Kumar Tripathy, CVO, Coal India Limited (CIL); Dr B. Veera Reddy, Advisor, Ministry of Coal; along with senior officials from DGMS, ECL, various subsidiaries of CIL, 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 R. T. Mandekar, Deputy Director General, North Western Zone, who shared critical insights on “Safety Challenges”, underlining the evolving dimensions of safety management in underground mining operations.
The discourse progressed with a dedicated session on “Mine Developer & Operator (MDO) / Contract Mining”, where Satish Jha outlined strategic, operational and governance perspectives of the MDO model, emphasizing accountability, efficiency and safety integration.
This was followed by an insightful presentation on “Automation and Digitization” by S. K. Chaulya, Scientist, Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIMFR), highlighting the role of advanced technologies in enhancing productivity, operational efficiency and workplace safety in underground mines.
The technical sessions concluded with a reflective and forward-looking keynote on “Learning from the Past” by Dr B. Veera Reddy, Advisor, Ministry of Coal, who stressed the importance of institutional memory and organizational learning in shaping the future trajectory of India’s mining sector.
