New Delhi: State-owned Coal India Ltd (CIL) on Wednesday reported a 32% drop in consolidated profit to ₹4,262.64 crore for the September quarter, weighed down by lower sales and higher expenses.
The country’s largest coal producer had posted a consolidated profit of ₹6,274.80 crore in the same quarter last year.
CIL’s consolidated sales declined to ₹26,909.23 crore from ₹27,271.30 crore in the year-ago period, the company said in a regulatory filing. Meanwhile, total expenses rose 7% to ₹26,421.86 crore from ₹24,670.70 crore a year earlier.
Coal India, which accounts for over 80% of India’s coal output, reported a 3.9% year-on-year drop in production to 48.97 million tonnes (MT) in September, compared to 50.94 MT in the same month last year.
The decline comes despite the government’s efforts to boost domestic production and reduce coal imports. Coal and Mines Minister G. Kishan Reddy attributed the fall in output to heavy rainfall in September, which disrupted mining operations. However, he clarified that there is no shortage of coal in the country.
Industry experts noted that monsoon rains and waterlogging typically hinder mining activities, leading to a seasonal dip in production.
For FY26, Coal India has set a production target of 875 million tonnes and a dispatch target of 900 million tonnes.
