India's Coal Imports for Power Sector: A Significant Decline

India's coal imports for blending in the power sector have decreased by 54% in the first nine months of the fiscal year, according to the government. This reduction is helping domestic coal-based power plants save on input costs and achieve foreign exchange savings.

Coal imports for blending into India's power sector declined by 54% during the current fiscal year, the government announced. This reduction offers significant cost relief to domestic coal-powered plants.

Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy revealed in Lok Sabha that coal imports for blending fell from 35.10 million tonnes in 2022-23 to 14.02 MT in 2024-25. The drop is expected to reduce input fuel costs further for coal-based plants.

Overall coal imports decreased to 243.62 MT from 264.53 MT, saving around Rs 60,681.67 crore in foreign exchange. Coal India Ltd is increasing production using advanced mining technologies and digital transformation initiatives.

(With inputs from agencies.)