India’s overall coal production hit 90.62 million tonnes (MT) in November 2024, reflecting a 7.20% increase compared to 84.52 MT in the same month last year, according to a release from the Ministry of Coal on Sunday.
The ministry reported notable progress in coal production from captive and other entities, which reached 17.13 MT in November 2024, up from 12.44 MT in November 2023, marking an impressive growth of 37.69%.
Cumulative Production Figures Show Steady Increase
Cumulatively, coal production for the fiscal year 2024-25 up to November 2024 reached 628.03 MT, compared to 591.32 MT during the same period in FY 2023-24, reflecting a growth of 6.21%.
Coal dispatches in November 2024 also demonstrated steady improvement, reaching 85.22 MT, an increase from 82.07 MT in November 2023, which translates to a growth of 3.85%. Dispatches from captive and other entities saw a sharp rise, climbing to 16.58 MT in November 2024 from 13.19 MT in November 2023, marking a significant growth of 25.73%.
Cumulatively, coal dispatches for FY 2024-25 up to November 2024 rose to 657.75 MT, compared to 623.78 MT during the same period in the previous fiscal year, recording a growth of 5.45%.
Decline in Coal Imports Signals Self-Sufficiency Efforts
On November 12, the ministry announced that coal imports for blending purposes decreased to 9.79 MT, down from 10.70 MT last year, indicating a decline of 8.5%. This reduction underscores India’s commitment to achieving self-sufficiency in coal production and reducing reliance on imports.
India, which holds the fifth-largest coal reserves in the world, is the second-largest consumer of coal, driven by its rapidly growing economy. However, the current consumption landscape highlights a critical need for imports, particularly for coking coal and high-grade thermal coal, which are not sufficiently available within domestic reserves. This shortfall necessitates imports to support key industries, including steel.
These figures are provisional, as noted in the ministry’s release.
