The Prime Minister said that in 2014, coal linkage was introduced to provide impetus to the coal sector. He said that India has taken a major decision to fully open the coal and mining sector for increased competition, capital, participation and technology. He added that care has been taken to ensure that the new players in the private mining sector do not face the problem of finance. He stressed that self-reliance is not possible without a strong mining and mineral sector as the two are important pillars of our economy.