Coal India's production falls for 1st time in 6 yrs

Prolonged rains brought Coal India Ltd’s (CIL's) production by 3.7 per cent during the first eight months (April-November) of the financial year 2026 (FY26), marking the first contraction in coal output for the comparable period in six years since the pandemic struck in 2020, according to provisional data released by the company.

- SAKET KUMAR

‘The company, which alone accounts for around 80 per cent of India’s coal production, attributed land acquisition challenges and adverse weather conditions to the shortfall in output. CIL produced 453.5 million tonnes (mt) coal during April-November of FY25, compared with 471 mt in the same period last year.

A senior CIL official told Business Standard that production was affected this year by the early onset of monsoon, coupled with severe intensity in rainfall and its prolonged duration.