India's Coal Import Sees Slight Decline Amid Extended Monsoons

India's coal imports fell slightly by 0.6% to 20.58 million tonnes in August compared to last year. The April-August FY26 period saw a total import of 118.07 million tonnes, down from 121.18 million tonnes year-on-year, influenced by subdued demand due to an extended monsoon.

India witnessed a marginal decline in coal imports for August, dropping 0.6% to 20.58 million tonnes compared to the same period last year. The slight decrease reflects broader trends seen over the April-August FY26 period, where total coal imports reached 118.07 million tonnes, down from 121.18 million tonnes in the previous fiscal year.

This reduction in coal import can be attributed to subdued demand caused by an extended monsoon, according to mjunction services. Specifically, non-coking coal imports stood at 11.55 million tonnes for August, a decrease from last year’s 13.04 million tonnes, while coking coal imports showed a slight increase to 4.82 million tonnes compared to last year's 4.53 million tonnes.

mjunction Services Ltd, responsible for compiling the data, highlighted that despite the current slump, coal demand may rise mid-to-long term, supported by new thermal power projects in the pipeline. mjunction Services, a collaboration between Tata Steel and SAIL, anticipates that these projects will drive a gradual increase in coal demand.