India's coal imports fell 12.95% year-on-year to 21.13 million tonnes in April 2026, down from 24.27 million tonnes in April 2025, according to the Ministry of Coal. This decline of 3.14 million tonnes represents a significant reduction in the country's dependence on imported fuel, marking progress in government efforts to boost domestic coal production and reduce import reliance. The ministry attributed this decline to the sustained impact of its continuing push for import substitution and enhanced domestic coal availability, particularly for the power sector.
The power sector demonstrated the most substantial reduction in coal imports, with purchases declining 24.89% to 3.51 million tonnes from 4.67 million tonnes in April 2025, as reported by the Ministry of Coal. Imported coal-based power plants recorded the sharpest decline at 27.45%, falling to 2.88 million tonnes from 3.97 million tonnes year-on-year. Coal imports by domestic coal-based thermal power plants for blending purposes also decreased 11.26% from 0.71 million tonnes to 0.63 million tonnes, reflecting increased availability of domestic coal supplies and reduced dependence on imported coal for blending purposes.
The share of imported coal in India's total coal consumption narrowed to 19.68% in April 2026 from 21.69% a year earlier, indicating a gradual reduction in import dependence, according to the Ministry of Coal. In contrast to the overall trend, coking coal imports, used as raw material by the steel industry, rose marginally by 1.34% to 6.01 million tonnes from 5.93 million tonnes. The ministry explained that this increase was consistent with continued growth in domestic steel production and reflecting that this category is driven by resource-specific requirements rather than availability gaps, as India has limited domestic reserves of high-quality coking coal.
The decline in coal imports reflects sustained efforts to boost domestic coal production and evacuation, strengthen first-mile connectivity, and improve logistics through coordination with the railways and state-owned Coal India Ltd, as reported by the Ministry of Coal. These measures have reduced the need for imported coal while maintaining healthy fuel stocks at power stations. The ministry stated it will continue to focus on raising domestic coal output, strengthening evacuation infrastructure, and improving quality-based grading to further reduce import dependence in the coming months, supporting the government's strategy to reduce import dependence and strengthen energy security through enhanced domestic coal supply capabilities.
