Hyderabad: Coal imports declined by nearly 13% in April 2026 as increased domestic production and improved supplies reduced the country’s reliance on overseas coal, according to the Ministry of Coal.
The Ministry reported that total inbound shipments fell to 21.13 million tonnes (MT) in April 2026 from 24.27 MT in April 2025, marking a decline of 3.14 MT or about 12.95%. Consequently, the share of overseas coal in India’s total consumption dropped from 21.69% to 19.68%.
The power sector recorded the sharpest fall in overseas purchases. Thermal power plants imported 3.51 MT during April 2026, compared with 4.67 MT a year earlier, reflecting better domestic linkage supplies and lower blending requirements.
Plants designed to run entirely on imported fuel registered the steepest decline. Their procurement dropped 27.45% from 3.97 MT to 2.88 MT. Likewise, domestic coal-based plants reduced blending purchases by 11.26%, from 0.71 MT to 0.63 MT.
Domestic production drives lower reliance on imported coal
Coking coal remained the only category to register a slight increase. Imports for the steel sector rose 1.34% from 5.93 MT to 6.01 MT because India has limited domestic reserves of coking coal while steel production continues to expand.
The Ministry attributed the overall decline to higher domestic coal output, stronger First Mile Connectivity, close monitoring of thermal power plant stock levels and better coordination with the Ministry of Railways, Coal India Limited and its subsidiaries. These measures ensured uninterrupted supplies to power utilities and reduced the need for imported fuel.
The Ministry said it would continue expanding domestic production, strengthening evacuation infrastructure and improving quality-based grading to further reduce dependence on overseas coal while maintaining adequate supplies for the power sector.
