India's coal import rises 2 % to 182 MT in April-November

NEW DELHI: India's coal imports increased by 2 per cent to 182.02 million tonnes (MT) during the April-November period of this financial year, compared to 178.17 MT in the corresponding period last year, as per the data from mjunction Services Ltd.
However, imports for November dropped to 19.57 MT, down from 22.30 MT in November 2023.
Vinaya Varma, MD and CEO at mjuction said, "There was a drop in volumes, which was in line with market expectation. Ample availability in the domestic market reduced import demand from consuming sectors such as sponge iron and steel. Also, the comfortable stock position at power plants resulted in muted demand for imports."
He further added that the trend with coal imports will probably continue for the upcoming months.
Non-coking coal imports for April-November stood at 117.73 MT, marginally lower than 118 MT in the same period last year.
Coking coal imports also saw a decline, falling to 36.93 MT from 37.97 MT.
The government has been pushing to boost domestic coal production and reduce imports. Under current policy, consumers can freely import coal based on their needs and commercial considerations.
Coking coal is primarily imported by the Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and other steel producers to meet demand and improve product quality.
Non-coking coal is imported by industries such as power plants, cement manufacturers, sponge iron plants, and traders. Coke imports cater to the pig iron and mini-blast furnace sectors.