India's coking coal demand to surge to 135mt by 2030

New Delhi: India's coking coal demand is expected to rise to 135 million tonnes by 2030 from 87 million tonnes in FY25, driven by steel industry expansion under the National Steel Policy and Viksit Bharat agenda, a joint report from EY Parthenon and Indian Steel Association said.

Domestic production, on the other hand, is projected to more than double 140 million tonnes by FY30 from 66.8 million tonnes in FY24, supported by reforms and beneficiation initiatives, it said. "To strengthen self-reliance, the government's Atmanirbhar Coal Mission under Mission Coking Coal seeks to scale domestic raw output to 140 million tonnes by FY30 - 105 million tonnes from Coal India and 35 million tonnes from private allocations," the report said.

Australia remains the dominant source of India's coking coal, with USA, Canada, and Russia together making up a significant share of imports. To reduce reliance on this concentrated group of suppliers, India is also exploring newer sources such as Mongolia and Mozambique, it added.