Harnessing digitalisation: An assessment of the implementation of Mining 4.0 technologies in the Indian coal mining industry

Abstract

Ensuring a sustainable supply of mineral resources, while reducing industrial accidents and environmental harm, requires continuous expansion and integration of innovative technologies within the mining sector. These technologies offer significant potential to support the long-term stability of the mineral resource industry. It can enhance resilience to fluctuations in demand, improve operational profitability and reinforce adherence to environmental regulations. Mining 4.0 (M4.0) has emerged as the sector strategic response to rapid digital transformation shaping both mining and associated infrastructure industries. Though, it has been observed that the adoption of M4.0 in developing economies such as India remains challenging. Many mining organisations lack clarity regarding which technologies are most critical and how they should be prioritised for effective implementation. Addressing this gap requires a systematic identification and evaluation of key M4.0 technologies relevant to developing-country contexts. The present study contributes to this need by assessing and ranking the prominent M4.0 technologies applied within Indian coal mining companies through the Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory method. The originality of this work lies in the limited number of prior studies focused specifically on prioritising M4.0 technologies in Indian mining sector. Through a literature analysis and expert consultation, 14 core technologies were shortlisted. The results reveal that ‘Big Data and Analytics’ is perceived as the most influential enabler of digital transformation, whereas ‘Virtual Reality’ is considered least significant at present. Overall, this study offers actionable insights that can guide Indian mining firms in strategically adopting M4.0 technologies based on their relative significance.