India's Power Sector Drives 13% Drop in April Coal Imports

India's coal imports decreased by nearly 13% in April 2026 compared to last year, primarily due to a reduction in power sector imports. Enhanced domestic coal availability continues to lessen reliance on foreign coal. Overall, total coal imports fell to 21.13 million tonnes, aligning with the government's import substitution efforts.

In April 2026, India's coal imports saw a significant decline of nearly 13% compared to the previous year, according to a statement by the Ministry of Coal. The drop was substantially influenced by the power sector's reduced import needs, as increased domestic coal availability has progressively diminished the country's reliance on foreign supplies.

The Ministry highlighted that total coal imports plummeted to 21.13 million tonnes (MT) in April, down from 24.27 MT a year earlier. This 12.95% reduction points towards the Ministry of Coal's continued emphasis on import substitution and boosting domestic coal availability, particularly for energy generation needs.

Reflecting this trend, imports utilized by power plants experienced the most considerable reduction, sinking by 24.89% to 3.51 MT from 4.67 MT. Specifically, imports by Imported Coal-Based power plants decreased by 27.45% to 2.88 MT, marking the sharpest decline amid evaluated categories. However, coking coal imports, servicing mainly the steel industry, displayed stability, advancing slightly by 1.34% to 6.01 MT. The Ministry attributes the overarching import decline to enhanced domestic production and supply chain improvements.