India’s import of thermal coal, which is essentially consumed by the Energy sector, rose by nearly 3 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) to 12.95 million tonnes (mt) in October this yr attributable to decrease manufacturing final month.
International actual time information and analytics supplier Kpler stated “The decline in home manufacturing pushed Indian seaborne thermal coal imports to rose by 2.90 per cent y-o-y to a four-month excessive of 12.95 mt in October, notably as industrial demand elevated after the monsoon season.”
On a month-to-month foundation, thermal coal imports rose by 3.6 per cent, Kpler information reveals.
The Coal Ministry is but to publish the month-to-month manufacturing and despatch numbers for October 2025.
Low quantity
Nonetheless, a mixture of excessive stockpiles, above-average rainfall, and the brand new GST framework (fee rationalisation) that introduced down the fee competitiveness of imported thermal coal restricted a extra pronounced upside. In consequence, October volumes remained under the earlier five-year common of 14 mt, stated Zhiyuan Li, Kpler’s Dry Bulk Commodity Analyst.
“Wanting forward, we’re projecting month-to-month seaborne thermal to stabilise round 12 mt via year-end. The advance in home provide and excessive stock ranges are more likely to cap the necessity for imports,” he informed businessline.
The demand for imported volumes within the cement sector will stay resilient as cement crops enhance the share of coal of their gasoline combine, as it’s doable to supply it at a decrease price than petcoke, he added.
Thermal coal imports inched up consecutively each month March to Could 2025 as India stocked up the crucial useful resource in anticipation of the height summer season demand interval (April-June 2025).
Nonetheless, early rains led to a dip in mercury from Could 2025 onwards which mirrored in decrease energy consumption thereby resulting in decrease coal burn. Consequently, imports fell consecutively each month from June to August this calendar yr.
India’s power consumption hit 132 billion items (Bus) in October 2025 declining by 6 per cent y-o-y . The coal energy era stood at 93.61 BU and 718.02 BU in October 2025 and April-October 2025, respectively, in comparison with 108.76 BU and 760.50 BU in October 2024 and April-October 2024, respectively.
Metallurgical coal imports
The seaborne metallurgical coal imports into India totalled 6 mt in October 2025, up 11 per cent y-o-y because the nation’s metal sector stays on a structural development path.
Nonetheless, volumes declined 7.70 per cent in comparison with the common imports of the primary half of FY26 (April to September), as excessive metal inventories and ongoing worth softness dragged the expansion of metal manufacturing, Li defined.
“For the rest of 2025, metallurgical coal imports are anticipated to be barely under 6 mt as the expansion of home metal output continues to sluggish. Kpler Perception forecasts Indian crude metal manufacturing development to lower to round 10 per cent in This fall, down from a close to two-year excessive of 13.20 per cent in Q3,” he added.
Printed on November 9, 2025
