State-owned CIL, the country's largest coal producer, offered 30.5 million tonnes (MT) of coal through online auctions in April, marking a 6 per cent decline from 32.5 MT in March.

The dip comes against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia, a key oil-producing region, which have spiked global energy prices and prompted power plants to ramp up coal usage for energy security.

According to the provision data of Coal India Ltd (CIL), of the total coal on offer by the PSU in April, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) auctioned 9.4 MT, followed by South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) 5.6 MT, Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) 4.6 MT, Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL) 4.4 MT, Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL) 3.0 MT, among others.

The state-run coal producer offered coal through the Single Window Mode Agnostic (SWMA) auction. SWMA auction is a unified, simplified e-auction system launched in 2022 to consolidate multiple existing auction windows (spot, special spot, forward) into a single platform, making coal procurement easier, more transparent, and market-driven for all buyers.

Coal India Ltd accounts for over 80 per cent of domestic coal production.

CIL, a Maharatna public sector undertaking under the coal ministry, conducts regular e-auctions to meet surging demand from thermal power plants, sponge iron makers and other consumers amid India's push for self-reliance in coal production.

State-owned CIL had earlier said buyers from neighbouring nations Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal can now join its online coal auctions directly, skipping the Indian middlemen.

The move, the company had said, will help utilise surplus coal resources more effectively and promote transparency.

Earlier, consumers across borders had access to Coal India Ltd's dry fuel only through domestic coal traders, who were allowed to buy and sell without any end-use restrictions.

"In a first, effective January 1, 2026, CIL has permitted coal consumers located in the neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, who wish to import coal from India, to directly participate in the Single Window Mode Agnostic (SWMA) auctions conducted by the company," CIL had said.

The CIL board had cleared the decks for this move, tweaking the scheme's mechanism in the SWMA auction.

"Opening SWMA e-auctions to foreign buyers reflects CIL's calibrated approach to market expansion while fully safeguarding domestic coal requirements. This step enhances transparency, competition and global market integration," a senior company official had said.

Earlier, CIL held dialogues with prospective overseas coal consumers to frame enabling clauses and assess their requirements.

CIL's production dropped 1.7 per cent to 768.1 million tonnes in the just-concluded FY26. The company produced 781.1 million tonnes in FY25. According to provisional data from Coal India Ltd, output in March fell to 84.5 MT from 85.8 MT in the year-ago period.

Published on May 11, 2026