India’s Coal Imports Down 0.6% in August, Coking Coal on the Rise

India’s coal imports recorded a small decline of 0.6% in August 2025, falling to 20.58 million tonnes (MT) from 20.70 MT in the same month last year, according to data from mjunction services, a B2B e-commerce platform jointly owned by Tata Steel and SAIL.

Non-Coking Coal Sees a Drop

Imports of non-coking coal stood at 11.55 MT in August, compared to 13.04 MT during the same month in the previous year. Non-coking coal, mainly used in power generation, formed the largest portion of total imports but showed a steady decline compared to last year’s levels.

Coking Coal Imports Increase

Coking coal imports rose to 4.82 MT in August from 4.53 MT a year earlier. Coking coal is used mainly by the steel industry and saw a rise even as overall import volumes remained almost flat.

April-August FY26 Coal Import Trends

During the first five months of the current fiscal (April-August FY26), total coal imports were 118.07 MT, lower than 121.18 MT in the same period of FY25. Imports of non-coking coal fell to 72.17 MT from 78.68 MT, while coking coal imports increased to 27.04 MT from 24.79 MT a year ago.

Demand and Market Situation

Industry data showed that coal demand before the festive period remained weak due to an extended monsoon, which affected offtake in some sectors. Mjunction Services noted earlier that the overall demand environment for coal is expected to remain slow in the near term, though supply levels have remained stable.

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Conclusion

India’s coal imports in August showed only a minor decline overall. The decrease in non-coking coal was partly offset by higher coking coal shipments. Total imports for the first five months of FY26 continue to stay slightly lower than last year’s levels.

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