India’s coal imports decline in April 2026, falling by nearly 13% year-on-year, according to multiple reports. The change is attributed mainly to improved domestic coal availability, which reduces dependence on overseas shipments for electricity generation. Times of India reports that Coal India Limited increases its supplies to the power sector, supporting the reduction in imports. Business Standard adds that the power sector’s coal imports drop more sharply—nearly 25%—while purchases of coking coal increase slightly. Swarajya similarly notes the overall decline in April and links it to reduced overseas dependence as domestic supply expands.
The reports also cite ongoing efforts to strengthen domestic production, including bringing new mines online, though they differ in emphasis on specific contributors. Taken together, the coverage indicates that April’s import fall is driven primarily by lower power-sector reliance on imported coal, alongside mixed trends within coal categories—declining thermal/power-related imports while coking coal imports remain comparatively higher than before.
