New Delhi— India saved approximately $6.93 billion (₹53,137.82 crore) in foreign exchange during April 2024 to February 2025, as coal imports fell sharply due to increased domestic production, the Ministry of Coal announced on Tuesday.
Coal imports declined by 9.2% to 220.3 million tonnes (MT) during the period, compared to 242.6 MT in the same timeframe of the previous fiscal year. The drop reflects India’s ongoing push toward self-reliance in coal production.
The decline was particularly significant in the non-regulated sector, which excludes power generation, where imports fell by 15.3% year-on-year. While coal-based power generation rose 2.87% during the April–February period, imports for blending by thermal power plants dropped sharply—down 38.8%—highlighting reduced dependence on foreign coal supplies.
The Ministry attributed this shift to key policy initiatives, including Commercial Coal Mining and Mission Coking Coal, aimed at boosting domestic production. As a result, India recorded a 5.45% year-on-year increase in coal output during the first 11 months of FY25.
Coal remains a cornerstone of India’s energy mix, powering critical sectors such as electricity, steel, and cement. However, the country continues to face shortages of coking coal and high-grade thermal coal, which are not abundantly available in domestic reserves—making targeted imports necessary for sectors like steel.
To address this gap, the government has been actively pursuing strategic initiatives to ramp up local production and ensure a stable domestic supply, in line with its broader energy security and economic goals.
By prioritizing domestic coal output, the government aims to support the vision of “Viksit Bharat” (Developed India) by creating a self-sustaining, resilient energy framework that can fuel long-term economic growth, the ministry said. (Source: IANS)
