India's coal imports fall 1.7% to 260 million tonnes in FY25

India’s coal imports in FY25, saw a modest decline of 1.7%, with total shipments falling to 263.56 million tonnes (MT) from 268.24 MT the previous year, according to data compiled by mjunction services ltd.

Non-coking coal imports over the period stood at 167.10 MT in FY25 against the 175.96 MT in 2023-24. Coking coal imports also slipped to 54.08 MT, compared to 57.22 MT in the previous fiscal.

Coal imports in March reflected a similar trend, falling to 22.79 MT from 23.96 MT in the same month last year. Within this, non-coking coal imports dropped slightly to 14.84 MT (from 15.33 MT), while coking coal volumes declined to 4.41 MT (from 5.34 MT).

“There was a drop in import volume in March (and in 2024-25), which was in line with market expectation,” said Vinaya Varma, MD & CEO of mjunction. “As the domestic market remains replete with high stockpile (of non-coking coal), we expect the appetite for imports to remain subdued till demand picks up in peak summer,” PTI reported.

Meanwhile, domestic coal production hit a remarkable milestone, crossing the one billion tonne mark for the first time. Provisional data showed the total output at 1,047.57 MT in FY25, a 4.99 per cent increase over the 997.83 MT produced in FY24.

The coal ministry said it remains committed to boosting self-reliance, reducing dependence on imports, and promoting sustainable mining practices to support India’s energy security and economic resilience.