Coal production across India registered robust growth of 7.51 per cent year-on-year in July 2026, driven primarily by Coal India Limited's strong operational performance despite challenging monsoon conditions.
The overall coal production in the country during July 2026 reached 69.75 MT (Provisional), marking an increase over the 64.88 MT produced in July, 2025.
The state-owned miner, which accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal output, produced 50.35 million tonnes during the month, marking an 8.42 per cent increase from July 2025.
The country's coal supplies reached record levels, with Coal India achieving its highest-ever July offtake of 64.19 million tonnes, an 18.38 per cent year-on-year surge.
This surpassed the previous July record of 60.5 million tonnes set in the 2024-25 financial year.
Coal supplies to the power sector, the largest consumer segment, rose 18 per cent to 49.77 million tonnes, while the non-regulated sector saw supplies increase 21 per cent to 14.42 million tonnes.
Industry observers noted the performance was particularly impressive given the operational challenges posed by heavy monsoon rainfall.
Coal India sustained strong momentum through a demand-responsive inventory optimisation strategy, maintaining a comfortable balance between production and supplies.
The company also recorded a 21.11 per cent increase in overburden removal to 120.35 million cubic metres during July, a critical precursor activity for sustained opencast coal mining.
On a cumulative basis, coal supplies during the April-July period of the 2026-27 financial year rose 6.9 per cent year-on-year to a record 262.04 million tonnes.
The previous record of 259.4 million tonnes was achieved during the corresponding period of 2024-25.
Overburden removal during the four-month period stood at 625.02 million cubic metres, registering growth of 2.85 per cent over the previous fiscal year.
The captive and commercial coal mining sector also continued its expansion trajectory, with production from these mines having grown at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 10.7 per cent between the 2024-25 and 2026-27 financial years.
Three new mines commenced production during the first quarter, adding a combined peak rated capacity of 7.51 million tonnes per annum to India's domestic coal availability.