India's Coal Imports Decline Amid Surplus Stock

India's coal import figures showed a decline of 4.4% in April 2025, dropping to 24.95 million tonnes compared to 26.10 million tonnes in the same month the previous year. This reduction in importation is attributed to buyers' reduced appetite due to surplus stock, even with soft seaborne prices, according to mjunction's MD & CEO Vinaya Varma.

The domestic coal industry painted a contrasting picture, witnessing a 3.6% increase in production, reaching 81.57 million tonnes in April 2025, as reported by the coal ministry. Coal India Ltd (CIL), which contributes predominantly to the domestic supply, reported an output of 62.1 million tonnes for the same month, a figure nearly stagnant when compared to the previous year.

CIL, in the fiscal year 2024-25, produced 781.1 million tonnes, missing its production target of 838 million tonnes. Looking forward, CIL aims to produce 875 million tonnes and achieve an offtake of 900 million tonnes in the fiscal year 2025-26, signaling a more ambitious production and distribution goal.

(With inputs from agencies.)