India imports coking coal for blast furnace operation in steel plants.

Indian Coal has highest ash content up to 45% and hence not suitable for steel plants. Our lignite is the worst of all. Bituminous coal found in eastern part of India is better than lignite found in south- but both are not suitable. We don’t have anthracite coal and we have very little coking coal
However, Nature has been very kind to us to make available Bituminous and lignite in abundance.
Now the answer is gasification of high ash Indian coal to produce Syn gas which can be readily used to fuel Our blast furnace in stead of imported coking coal.
From Syn gas , hydrogen can also be obtained which is useful for direct reduction of iron oxide. so no need for natural gas as a source of hydrogen.

Which means that indigenous coal gasification is the answer to curb cling coal and natural gas imports