Coal imports by power plants fell by 6.39% to 21.32 MT in August 2026, from 22.77 MT a year earlier. Imports for blending at domestic coal-based power plants recorded a sharper decline of 35.23%, falling from 4.64 MT to 3 MT, indicating lower import requirements for blending.
In contrast, imports by imported coal-based (ICB) power plants increased marginally by 0.98%, from 18.13 MT in August 2025 to 18.31 MT in August 2026. These plants are designed to operate primarily on imported coal.
Imported coal’s share in India’s total coal consumption declined from 21.20% in August 2025 to 19.30% in August 2026, a reduction of 1.90 percentage points. Coking coal imports also fell by 4.18%, from 28.49 MT to 27.30 MT. However, domestic availability of coking coal remains constrained by the quality and characteristics of indigenous reserves, making imports important for meeting the steel industry's raw material requirements.
The Ministry of Coal continues to focus on increasing domestic coal production and offtake, strengthening First Mile Connectivity (FMC), improving coal evacuation infrastructure and monitoring coal stocks at thermal power plants.
Coordination with the Ministry of Railways, Coal India Limited (CIL) and its subsidiaries is aimed at ensuring timely and adequate coal supplies to power utilities. These measures are intended to improve supply reliability, reduce avoidable import dependence and support uninterrupted power generation.
The decline in overall imports, particularly coal used for blending at domestic coal-based power plants, highlights the importance of strengthening domestic production, transportation and supply-chain infrastructure. The Ministry remains focused on expanding domestic production and evacuation capacity, improving supply-chain efficiency and managing coal quality to reduce import dependence wherever feasible while ensuring reliable supplies to the power and industrial sectors.
