New Delhi: State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) recorded its highest-ever coal offtake for the month of July, with supplies rising 18.38% year-on-year to 64.19 million tonnes (MT) in July 2026. The strong performance came despite monsoon-related challenges affecting mining operations.
The July figure surpassed Coal India’s previous record July supply of 60.5 MT, achieved in financial year 2024-25. The company attributed the strong dispatch performance to robust demand and a demand-responsive inventory optimisation strategy.
Coal production also increased during the month, rising 8.44% to 50.36 MT from the year-earlier period. The gap between production and supplies indicates that Coal India was able to draw on inventories while maintaining strong dispatches to consumers.
Power Sector Drives Demand
The power sector remained the largest driver of Coal India’s July supplies. Dispatches to power producers increased 18% to 49.77 MT, compared with 42.35 MT in July 2025.
Supplies to the non-regulated sector also recorded strong growth, rising 21% to 14.42 MT from 11.89 MT a year earlier. The broad-based increase highlights strong coal demand from both electricity generation and industrial consumers.
April-July Supplies Hit Record
Coal India’s strong July performance followed another record month in June, when the company supplied 65.95 MT, its highest-ever supply for the month.
Cumulative coal supplies during April-July FY2026-27 rose 6.9% to 262.04 MT, marking the highest-ever volume supplied during the first four months of a financial year. The previous record was 259.4 MT, recorded during April-July FY2024-25.
The company also reported a 21.11% increase in overburden removal during July to 120.35 million cubic metres. Higher overburden removal is important for sustaining production from open-cast mines because it helps expose coal seams for extraction.
Strong Operational Momentum
Coal India’s latest numbers underline continued momentum in India’s domestic coal supply chain. The record dispatches could help power producers maintain fuel availability while supporting industrial demand.
The performance also highlights the company’s ability to sustain supplies during the monsoon season, when heavy rainfall can disrupt mining, transportation and logistics.
With power demand remaining a key driver of coal consumption, Coal India’s production, inventory and dispatch trends will remain closely watched during the remainder of FY2026-27.