India's Coal Imports Decline in April-October Period

India's overall coal imports have seen a significant drop of over 3% during the April-October period, primarily due to improved domestic supplies. According to the latest government data, total imports stood at 149.3 million tonnes (MT) compared to 154 MT in the same period last year.

The domestic output of coal rose by 6% to 537.5 MT from 506.9 MT a year ago, contributing to the reduced reliance on imports. Notably, imports by power producers for blending dropped by 19.5%, even as thermal generation increased by 3.8%. Imports by non-regulated sectors, including steel and cement, also witnessed a substantial drop of 8.8%.

However, shipments brought in by imported coal-based power plants surged by 38%, rising from 21.7 MT in the year-ago period to 30 MT. This indicates a shift in sourcing strategies among certain sectors despite the overall decline in coal imports.