State-run Coal India on Thursday, January 1, reported a 4.6per cent year-on-year increase in coal production for December, even as cumulative output for the first nine months of financial year 2026 remained below last year’s levels.
Coal India’s production for December stood at 75.7 million tonnes (MT), lifting the year-to-date output to 529.2 MT. Despite the monthly uptick, production for the April–December period was 2.6per cent lower than the 543.4 MT recorded in the corresponding period of financial year 2025.
The company has so far achieved about 60per cent of its full-year production guidance of 875 MT for FY26. Coal India’s output typically remains subdued during the first half of the year due to the monsoon season, before accelerating in the latter half.
December’s production growth was largely driven by South Eastern Coal Fields, which posted a sharp 28per cent increase over the same month last year. Eastern Coalfields and Central Coalfields also reported higher production during the month, contributing to the overall rise.
However, Coal India’s offtake performance remained weak. Offtake for December declined 5.2per cent year-on-year, despite higher production. For the year so far, total offtake fell 2.2per cent from last year to 544.7 MT.
Coal India has been in the spotlight in recent weeks following reports that the Prime Minister’s Office has directed the miner to list all its subsidiaries by financial year 2030. Plans for initial public offerings of units such as Bharat Coking Coal and Mahanadi Coalfields are already underway, signalling a broader push to unlock value from the group’s assets. |
