Coal India’s October output jumps 19.27% to 67.24 million tonnes
Key Facts
Coal India raised coal production by 19.27% year on year in October 2026 to 67.24 million tonnes, according to the company’s official production record. The volume was 97.01% of the monthly target of 69.31 million tonnes, meaning output fell short of the target despite rising from the same month a year earlier. Compared with October 2025, when production was 56.38 million tonnes, the annual increase followed a decline in the corresponding period. The company had recorded production of 62.47 million tonnes in October 2024, before it fell 9.75% in October 2025. The figures highlight a recovery in monthly output, while the cumulative total since the start of the financial year remains more moderate.
From April to October 2026, cumulative production reached 388.2 million tonnes, up 0.7% year on year, according to data reported by ScoutQuest citing Coal India. This limited growth rate highlights the gap between October’s performance alone and the trajectory across the seven months combined. By contrast, cumulative coal deliveries reached 454.6 million tonnes during April–October, up 9.2% from the same period a year earlier. Cumulative deliveries therefore exceeded cumulative production recorded over the period, according to the published figures. The divergence between production growth and faster deliveries presents a different picture from one based on a single month alone.
In the context of power-plant supplies, India’s Ministry of Coal said coal stocks had remained above 18 million tonnes since 29 September 2026. Stocks stood at 18.932 million tonnes on 29 September, then reached 18.205 million tonnes on 10 October. The decline during September was about 7.28 million tonnes, compared with a fall of only about 0.56 million tonnes in the first ten days of October. These figures reflect a slowdown in withdrawals from stocks at the start of the month, alongside an increase in coal flows to the power sector. Stock data provide operational context for reading Coal India’s production and deliveries, without determining on their own how each affected stock levels.
The ministry said the average number of coal-laden trains headed to the power sector reached 469 a day from 1 to 10 October, compared with 426 a day in September, an increase of about 10%. Average actual coal supplies to power plants also rose to 2.49 million tonnes a day through 10 October, from 2.21 million tonnes a day in September. Actual supplies exceeded the daily plan of 2.37 million tonnes on 9 of the 10 days in the period. The ministry said supplies "exceeded the plan on nine of the ten days." These indicators place transport and supply alongside production figures, while covering different periods from Coal India’s monthly and cumulative totals.
Across the broader industrial sector, India’s industrial production index recorded annual growth of 6.7% in September 2026, according to the quick estimate issued by the Ministry of Statistics. The reading was below August’s growth of 8.0%, which was also a quick estimate. Manufacturing grew 7.6% in September, while electricity and gas rose 11.2%. The comparison shows the overall index slowing from the previous month, alongside growth in manufacturing and electricity and gas during September. These data cover September, while Coal India’s operational figures cover October or the period from April to October.
Of 23 industrial groups in manufacturing, 17 recorded growth in September, according to India’s Ministry of Statistics. Among the strongest increases, electrical equipment output grew 33.9%. Output of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers also rose 19.0%, while rubber and plastic products increased 19.9%. These figures break down the 7.6% growth in manufacturing and show that the increase spanned multiple industrial groups. This detail remains part of September’s data and does not change the difference in period covered from the October coal production update.
India’s quick estimate of the industrial production index for October is scheduled for publication on 30 November 2026, according to the Ministry of Statistics’ calendar. The release will provide a subsequent reading of industrial activity following September’s data, which showed annual growth of 6.7%. Coal India’s current figures put October production at 67.24 million tonnes, with 97.01% of the monthly target achieved. The company’s cumulative total through October remains 388.2 million tonnes, up 0.7% year on year. The next release date provides a scheduled checkpoint for industrial activity alongside coal data covering a different month and cumulative period.