India: CIL faces production, offtake slowdown y-o-y in Oct’25, eyes recovery with demand uptick

• Output falls 5% y-o-y in Jan-Oct amid weather disruptions
• Weak power demand leads to 2% dip in offtake in Jan-Oct

Coal India Limited (CIL), a Maharatna public sector enterprise under the Ministry of Coal, has released its provisional coal production and offtake figures for October 2025, along with consolidated data for the April-October 2025 period. The figures reflect a y-o-y drop in both coal production and dispatch volumes in October 2025, including a decline in cumulative April-October volumes.

Oct’25 sees 10% y-o-y drop in output

In October 2025, CIL recorded a total coal production of 56.4 million tonnes (mnt), witnessing a m-o-m rise of 15% from 48.97 mnt in September and marking a decrease of 9.8% y-o-y from 62.5 mnt in October 2024. Among its subsidiaries, Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) contributed the highest production at 16.6 mnt, registering a fall of 12.5% y-o-y.

Northern Coalfields Limited (NCL) followed, with 12 mnt, reflecting a y-o-y decline of 7.4%, while South Eastern Coalfields Limited (SECL) produced 12.2 mnt, down by 2.1% from October last year.

Production drops 5% y-o-y in Apr-Oct’25

For the first seven months of FY’26 (April-October), CIL’s total coal production stood at 385.5 mnt, declining by 4.5% from 403.8 mnt in the corresponding period. This trend indicates persistent pressures across mining operations, including weather disruptions and supply chain constraints.

Dispatches also show y-o-y decrease in Oct’25

CIL’s coal offtake in October 2025 was at 58.3 mnt, marking a m-o-m rise of 8.8% from 53.56 mnt in September 2025 and a 5.9% y-o-y fall from 62 mnt in October 2024, attributed to subdued industrial activity. MCL again led the dispatch figures, with 18.2 mnt, a slight 0.1% drop y-o-y. It was followed by SECL, where dispatch figures stood at 12.9 mnt, down 6.5% y-o-y. Additionally, NCL recorded an offtake of 10.8 mnt, showing a steep 9% drop compared to the same month last year.

Apr-Oct’25 offtake declines 2% y-o-y

CIL reported a total offtake of 415.3 mnt during Apr-October 2025, reflecting a 2.4% decline from 425.6 mnt in the corresponding period of the previous year. The reduction was largely attributed to subdued demand from the power sector, supported by adequate plant inventories, along with weaker industrial consumption.

Outlook

CIL’s declining production and offtake in Oct’25 highlight operational and demand pressures. With ample power plant stocks and weaker industrial demand, output recovery in the coming months may hinge on improved logistics and a seasonal uptick in power consumption.