India's coal imports drop over 4% to 148 million in Apr-Oct period

New Delhi: India's coal imports dropped 4.2 per cent to 148.13 Million Tonnes (MT) in the April-October period of the ongoing financial year.

The country's coal imports were 154.72 MT in the corresponding period of the previous fiscal.

During the April-October period, non-coking coal imports were 94.53 MT, lower than 104.41 MT imported during the same period last year, according to the data of mjunction services ltd, a B2B e-commerce company.

Coking coal imports were at 33.74 MT during the first seven months of the ongoing financial year, slightly up against 32.74 MT in the year-ago period.

Imports in October stood at roughly 23.59 MT as against 19.04 MT in October last fiscal, as per the data.

Of the total imports in October, inbound shipments of non-coking coal stood at 16.88 MT, against 11.69 MT imported in October last year.

Coking coal imports stood at 4.31 MT, against 4.69 MT imported in October last financial year.

"There was an increase in volumes as the buyers took fresh positions. Several utility tenders were issued, amid lower inventories at plants and the Centre's directive on imports for blends," mjunction MD & CEO Vinaya Varma said.