India’s Coal Imports See 7.8% Rise in H1 FY25 Amid Healthy Domestic Stock and e-Auction Supply

India’s coal imports rose by 7.8% to 140.60 million tonnes (MT) in the April-September period of FY25, compared to 130.34 MT during the same period last year, as per mjunction services data. Despite the increase, demand for coal imports is expected to remain moderate due to sufficient domestic stock and high volumes available through spot e-auctions, mjunction CEO Vinaya Varma noted.

In September, coal imports dropped by 10.09% to 19.42 MT from 21.60 MT a year earlier. Non-coking coal imports for September stood at 13.24 MT, down from 14.88 MT, while coking coal dropped to 3.39 MT from 4.59 MT. Total non-coking coal imports for the first half reached 91.92 MT, a slight rise from 83.45 MT last year, while coking coal imports fell slightly to 28.18 MT.

Varma highlighted a modest increase in non-coking coal imports due to the festive season demand, while coking coal imports declined due to softer steel demand and prices. Meanwhile, India’s domestic coal production reached 453 MT in H1 FY25, marking a 6% increase from 428 MT last year.

Coal Minister G. Kishan Reddy emphasized that Coal India Ltd, which contributes over 80% of domestic output, should prioritize enhancing production to curb imports.