In a recent article published in Business Standard, S Dinakar explored India’s ambitious push toward coal gasification as part of its broader fuel diversification strategy. With an estimated investment of nearly $55 billion, the initiative aims to convert domestic coal into value-added products such as methanol, synthetic natural gas (SNG), fertilisers, and chemicals, while reducing import dependency. However, the article highlights significant challenges including high capital costs, technological limitations, feedstock variability, and the need for scalable gasification technologies suited to Indian coal characteristics, raising questions about the long-term commercial viability of the initiative.