- Stocks largely stable amid holiday-led inactivity
- Limited arrivals and evacuation balance out inventories
India’s portside thermal coal inventories remained broadly stable w-o-w at 12.95 mnt in week 1 of 2026, up marginally by 0.3% from 12.91 mnt in week 52. Trading and evacuation activity stayed muted as Christmas and New Year holidays curtailed fresh arrivals and dispatches.
East coast: Marginal movement at key ports
On the east coast, stocks at Paradip stocks inched up by 2.6% w-o-w to 1.77 mnt from 1.73 mnt, indicating balanced arrivals and evacuation. Dhamra saw stocks remaining largely unchanged at 1.24 mnt, reflecting subdued movement during the holiday period.
West coast: Selective buildup offsets declines
On the west coast, Mundra recorded a notable buildup of 11.9% w-o-w to 0.92 mnt, supported by limited fresh arrivals. In contrast, in Kandla stocks edged down by 1.7% to 0.54 mnt, pointing to steady evacuation amid thin trading.
Company-wise: Inventories edge up
At the company level, Adani Enterprises recorded a 5% w-o-w increase in portside coal stocks to 3.37 mnt in week 1 of 2026, supported by slower evacuation during the holiday period. Agarwal Coal’s inventories also rose by 4.4% to 1.09 mnt, reflecting limited dispatches and muted downstream lifting.
Outlook
Portside inventories are expected to remain broadly stable in the near term. With holiday-related slowdown extending into early January, stock movements are likely to be driven by evacuation patterns rather than fresh buying, until normal trading and industrial activity resume.
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