New Delhi, Jan 12 (PTI) India's coal import rose by two per cent to 182.02 million tonnes (MT) in the April-November period of the current fiscal year.

The country's coal import was at 178.17 MT in the year-ago period, according to data compiled by business-to-business e-commerce company mjunction services ltd.

However, the country's coal import dropped to 19.57 MT in the month of November, over 22.30 MT in the corresponding month of the previous fiscal.

"There was a drop in volumes, which was in line with market expectation. Ample availability in the domestic market reduced import demand from consuming sectors such as sponge iron and steel. Also, the comfortable stock position at power plants resulted in muted demand for imports," mjunction MD and CEO Vinaya Varma said.

This trend is likely to continue in the coming months, he said.

During April-November 2024, non-coking coal import was at 117.73 MT, lower than 118 MT imported during the same period last year. Coking coal import was at 36.93 MT during April-November period, down against 37.97 MT recorded in the year-ago period.

The government had earlier stressed on augmenting coal production and reducing the imports of dry-fuel.

As per the present import policy, coal can be freely imported by the consumers themselves considering their needs, based on their commercial prudence.

Coking Coal is being imported by Steel Authority of India Ltd (SAIL) and other steel manufacturing units mainly to bridge the gap between the requirement and indigenous availability and to improve the quality.

Coal-based power plants, cement plants, captive power plants, sponge iron plants, industrial consumers and coal traders are importing non-coking coal. Coke is imported mainly by pig-iron manufacturers and iron and steel sector consumers using mini-blast furnaces. PTI SID DRR

Coal import policy permits commercial importation, affecting domestic supply dynamics and import demand amid ample stocks. Under the prevailing import framework, coal may be freely imported by consumers based on commercial prudence. Coking coal imports by steel producers are used to bridge domestic quality and availability gaps, while non coking coal imports serve power plants, cement producers, captive power and industrial users. The regulatory posture emphasizes augmenting indigenous coal production to reduce reliance on imports, even as recent data show modest overall increases in import volumes but reduced monthly demand due to ample domestic supplies and comfortable plant stocks.