New Delhi: India’s coal stocks have recorded their sharpest decline in four years, falling by 66.1 per cent between the beginning of April and the end of September 2026.
Coal inventories stood at around 54.9 million tonnes at the start of April but fell to 18.6 million tonnes by the end of September. The decline is significantly steeper than the depletion recorded during the same period in previous years.
Coal stocks fell 22.8 per cent between April and September in 2025, 31.8 per cent in 2024 and 36.8 per cent in 2023, making the 2026 decline notably larger.
The reduction comes as coal continues to play a dominant role in India’s electricity sector despite the rapid expansion of renewable energy. Coal based power generation has increased considerably over the past decade, reflecting the country’s growing electricity demand.
Coal plants generated around 835 billion units of electricity in FY15. By FY26, generation had climbed to approximately 1,281 billion units, representing an increase of more than 53 per cent.
Renewable sources have also expanded substantially during the same period. Solar power generation rose from just 4.6 billion units in FY15 to 174.8 billion units in FY26, while wind generation increased from 33.8 billion units to 106.7 billion units.
Hydropower generation grew more gradually, rising from 129.2 billion units to 167.2 billion units over the same period.
The figures underline the continuing importance of coal to India’s electricity supply. Although the country’s energy mix is becoming increasingly diverse, coal based generation remains considerably higher than output from individual renewable sources.
The sharp reduction in coal inventories therefore remains an important development for India’s power sector, particularly as electricity demand continues to grow and the country balances conventional generation with its expanding renewable energy capacity.
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