Coal India Limited (CIL) is a holding company. CIL, through seven wholly owned coal producing subsidiaries and one mine planning and consultancy company, is operating in 81 mining areas spread over eight provincial states of India. It encompasses identification of coal reserves, detailed exploration followed by design and implementation and optimizing operations for coal extraction in its mines. Its producing companies are Eastern Coalfields Limited, Bharat Coking Coal Limited, Central Coalfields Limited, South Eastern Coalfields Limited, Western Coalfields Limited, Northern Coalfields Limited, Mahanadi Coalfields Limtied and Coal India Africana Limitada. The consultancy company is Central Mine Planning and Design Institute Limited. North Eastern Coalfields (NEC) a coal producing unit operating in Margherita, Assam is under direct operational control of CIL. The Company�s consumers are Power and Steel sectors. Others include cement, fertilizer, brick kilns, and small scale industries.