Coal India shares jumped 4% to touch an intraday high of ₹475.65 on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, after the state-owned firm reassured investors about coal supply stability amid rising demand. The stock surge came after CIL addressed coal shortage apprehensions by confirming a 168 million tonne (MT) coal buffer stock to meet summer consumption requirements. As per market reports, shares have soared nearly 15% from the beginning of the year, with the company maintaining a market capitalisation of ₹2.83 lakh crore. The stock was trading at ₹460.05 per share on the National Stock Exchange at 3:10 PM, reflecting continued investor confidence in the company's supply management capabilities.
Coal India Limited (CIL) has assured adequate coal availability to meet rising power demand, recording a 168 million tonne (MT) coal buffer stock to address summer consumption requirements. The state-owned PSU made this assurance on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, as India's peak power demand hit a record high of 270.82 GW on Thursday, May 21, 2026, surpassing the previous record of 265.44 GW set on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. According to CIL's latest statement, the prevailing heat wave has increased the use of cooling devices like air conditioners and desert coolers, driving unprecedented power consumption. This represents a significant increase from last summer's peak demand of 242.77 GW in June 2025, which stayed below the government's estimate of 277 GW. The company noted that India's peak power demand has been steadily rising, with May 2024 reaching 250 GW, exceeding the previous all-time peak of 243.27 GW set in September 2023.
Coal stocks at domestic coal-based plants stood at 47.6 MT as of May 23, while CIL's own mine heads inventory reached a comfortable level of 113.5 MT as of May 24, representing a 10% year-on-year increase. As reported by CIL, this level is sufficient to meet 19 days of consumption. Additionally, around 3 MT of coal is awaiting at transit points such as goods sheds, private washeries and ports, with rakes on run (coal in transit) at approximately 4 MT, making a total of 168 MT of coal available in the system. The company maintains that compression of coal stock levels at coal-fired plants during peak summer is a natural occurrence rather than a supply-side crisis. CIL has around 50 MT in-situ mine coal on tap, ready for quicker extraction and supply if demand necessitates during peak periods.
Of the 21 plants categorized under criticality as of May 20, 11 are domestic coal-based plants, of which 7 source their coal from CIL. According to CIL's latest statement, the company has adequate quantity to meet the generation capacity of domestic coal-based plants. The PSU maintains around 50 MT in-situ mine coal on tap, ready for quicker extraction and supply if demand necessitates during peak periods. CIL has been corresponding with power plants to build up their stocks for peak demand periods in advance, especially for plants located at difficult logistic points to ensure uninterrupted power generation during peak summer demand periods. The company's dominance is evident as Coal India accounts for over 80% of domestic coal output in India.
Coal India delivered robust financial results for Q4 FY26, with consolidated net profit surging 11.15% year-on-year to ₹10,839.18 crore compared to ₹9,751.64 crore in the corresponding period of FY25. The Maharatna company's revenue from operations advanced 5.75% YoY to ₹46,490.03 crore during the quarter, up from ₹43,961.56 crore in Q4 FY25. Operational performance was particularly strong, with EBITDA standing at ₹17,917 crore for Q4 FY26, marking a 12% YoY increase from ₹16,040 crore in the previous year. The EBITDA margin expanded significantly to 39% for the reporting quarter, up from 36% in Q4 FY25. Coal production declined marginally YoY to 239 million tonnes compared to 202.36 MT in the corresponding quarter of FY25.
