State-run miner Coal India Ltd. is expected to report a small decline in first-quarter profit year-on-year, driven mainly by higher mining expenses. Multiple outlets cite Bloomberg analyst estimates that Coal India’s profit is likely around ₹8,640 crore (about $895 million), which would be roughly 1% lower than the previous year’s level. The increase in costs is linked to more expensive mining inputs, including explosives and diesel, which are reported to have risen after the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East, specifically referenced as the Iran war. While the direction of profit is lower, the forecast indicates the change is marginal rather than a steep deterioration. Both accounts point to the same underlying factor—cost inflation for key raw materials used in coal extraction—as the reason for the expected dip. The reports present this as an outlook based on analyst projections rather than a final, reported earnings figure, and they do not describe any offsetting improvement in revenue or production in their provided summaries.