India’s coal imports fall 5.83% in August to 104.57 million tonnes

India imported 5.83% less coal in August 2026 than a year earlier, with the Ministry of Coal crediting higher domestic production and a stronger supply chain.

Total imports fell to 104.57 million tonnes (MT) from 111.05 MT in August 2025, a drop of 6.48 MT. The share of imported coal in India's total coal consumption slipped from 21.20% to 19.30%, a fall of 1.90 percentage points.

The numbers

• Power plants overall: imports fell 6.39%, from 22.77 MT to 21.32 MT.
• Plants built to run on imported coal: imports rose marginally by 0.98%, from 18.13 MT to 18.31 MT. The ministry noted these plants are designed to operate mainly on imported coal.
• Blending at domestic coal-based plants: imports fell 35.23%, from 4.64 MT to 3.00 MT.
• Coking coal, used by the steel industry: imports fell 4.18%, from 28.49 MT to 27.30 MT.

Why it matters

The ministry said the sharp fall in imports for blending reflects lower import requirements for blending at domestic coal-based plants. On coking coal, it said domestic supply remains limited by the quality of Indian reserves, so import needs depend on what the steel sector specifically requires.

What the ministry is doing

The ministry said it is focusing on raising domestic production and offtake, improving "first mile" connectivity and coal evacuation infrastructure, and closely monitoring coal stocks at thermal power plants. It works with the Ministry of Railways and Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries to keep power utilities supplied on time.

The release gives figures for August only and does not say how imports have moved over a longer period.

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Source: official release by the Ministry of Coal, issued through the Press Information Bureau, Government of India (01 NOV 2026 10:52AM by PIB Delhi). Read the full official text: Coal Imports Decline by 5.83% in August 2026, Reflecting Reduced Import Dependence.