Coal production from captive and commercial mines surged by 34.2% to 131.05 million tonnes (MT) in the April-December period of the current fiscal, compared to 97.67 MT in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Coal. In December alone, production from these mines was 18.40 MT.
Additionally, the coal sector showed significant growth in November 2024, with the Index of Eight Core Industries (ICI) rising by 7.5% to 199.6 points, compared to 185.7 points in November 2023. For the April-November 2024 period, the index reached 172.9 points, up 6.4% from 162.5 points in the previous year.
The ICI tracks the performance of eight key industries—coal, cement, crude oil, electricity, fertilizers, natural gas, refinery products, and steel. Among these, coal emerged as a key driver of growth, contributing substantially to the overall performance of the core industries.