State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) announced a remarkable surge in coal production, marking an 11.5% growth, achieving a production milestone of 460 million tonnes (MT) during the April-November period of the ongoing fiscal year. CIL, a major contributor responsible for over 80% of the country’s domestic coal output, revealed its substantial growth compared to the previous year’s production of 412.5 MT.

The PSU highlighted that the growth trajectory exceeded the annual targeted rate of 10.2%, signaling an impressive uptick of 47.4 MT in comparison to the corresponding period in the previous fiscal year. All seven branches of CIL showcased growth, with BCCL and NCL achieving their progressive targets.

Additionally, CIL’s supply of coal to the power sector showed an uptick, registering a 4.7% rise to 398.7 MT during April-November from 380.8 MT in the same period last year. The company expressed confidence in surpassing the Ministry of Power’s demand projection of 610 MT for the current fiscal year, aiming for growth despite the challenge of exceeding the high production base of the preceding financial year.

Furthermore, the year-to-date coal stock at CIL's pitheads recorded a substantial increase, reaching 45 MT, signifying a 58% rise compared to 28.5 MT in the same period last year. The total supplies by the firm in the first eight months of the current fiscal year also saw a notable growth of 8.7%, amounting to 485.4 MT from 446.4 MT in FY'23. Additionally, November 2023 witnessed higher coal off-take at 63 MT compared to 60.7 MT in November 2022, reflecting a positive trend in production and supply for CIL.