Coal production from captive and commercial mines increased 42% year-on-year to 22.03 million tonnes (MT) in October 2026, compared with 15.49 MT in the same month last year.
Coal dispatches also registered a strong growth of 36% to 21.11 MT during the month, against 15.48 MT in October 2025.
During April-October FY27, coal production rose 11.30% year-on-year to 117.23 MT from 105.33 MT, while dispatches increased 11.53% to 124.86 MT from 111.95 MT.
The Ministry of Coal said the growth reflects improved operational efficiency, higher mining productivity and better utilisation of capacities across captive and commercial coal mines.
In another development, the Lohari coal mine in Jharkhand received Mine Opening Permission in October 2026 after awaiting operationalisation for several years. With this approval, the number of operational captive and commercial coal mines has increased to 87.
The government expects rising domestic coal production to reduce dependence on imports, strengthen supply-chain resilience and conserve foreign exchange, while supporting the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.
The Ministry will continue to focus on increasing production, addressing supply constraints and improving coal availability through policy reforms, regulatory oversight and stakeholder support.