Manpower planning is a critical function of strategic human resource management in capital-intensive industries such as coal mining. South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL), a subsidiary of Coal India Limited, requires an appropriately skilled workforce to maintain production efficiency, occupational safety, and organizational sustainability. This study examines manpower planning at SECL by analysing workforce trends, occupational composition, recruitment, training, and technological change. A descriptive research design based on secondary data from company annual reports and recent scholarly literature is adopted. Workforce figures for 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 are compared to identify changes in employee strength and skill categories. The study also formulates hypotheses concerning workforce reduction and changes in occupational composition. Findings indicate the importance of competency-based recruitment, succession planning, employee reskilling, and data-driven workforce forecasting. The study recommends an integrated manpower planning framework that aligns employee availability, technical competencies, production requirements, and workplace safety.