India's coal imports fall 5.83% in August, blending imports for power plants drop 35%

what happened

India's coal imports fell 5.83% in August 2026 to 104.57 million tonnes, down from 111.05 million tonnes a year earlier. The Ministry of Coal said in a release issued on Sunday. Imports for blending at domestic coal-based power plants dropped 35.23%, to 3 million tonnes from 4.64 million.

Imports of coal by the power sector declined 6.39% to 21.32 million tonnes. Plants designed to run mainly on imported coal raised purchases slightly, by 0.98% to 18.31 million tonnes. Coking coal imports, used mainly by steelmakers, fell 4.18% to 27.30 million tonnes. The ministry noted that domestic coking coal supply remains limited by the quality of local reserves.

why it matters

For markets, this could signal weaker Indian demand for seaborne thermal coal if the trend holds. The share of imported coal in total consumption fell to 19.30% from 21.20%, so the pace of imports matters for coal exporters. A single monthly report does not yet point to a long-term trend.

market impact

Thermal coal: weaker Indian import demand puts pressure on export prices

• ▼Seaborne thermal coal pressure down — lower Indian blending imports reduce demand for exported coal

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