India's coal inventories stand at 123.7 million tonnes, equivalent to about 51 days of consumption at the current daily rate of 2.4 million tonnes, Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said on September 8, seeking to ease concerns over fuel availability despite growing coal-fired power generation this fiscal year.

Reddy said that of the total stockpile, around 100 million tonnes is held at mines and in transit, while thermal power plants account for the remaining 23.7 million tonnes. He added that both production and supplies are expected to pick up as the rains subside.

He acknowledged that supplies were disrupted for about ten days because of heavy rainfall, but noted that output has since begun to recover. Reddy expressed confidence that the coal ministry would be able to fully meet the fuel requirements of power plants going forward, adding that the situation is being monitored continuously.

Production has increased over the past two to three days as rains have tapered off, and there is no cause for concern, the minister said.

Coal supplies to the power sector rose 4.5% year on year to 346.72 million tonnes over April-August 2026, up from 331.70 million tonnes in the same period last year.

The increase in supply came as thermal generation grew at a much faster pace. Coal-fired electricity output climbed 9.1% from 491.2 TWh a year earlier to 535.8 TWh over April-August. The rise was driven by stronger power demand linked to El Nino conditions and an 11% fall in hydropower generation.

Reddy said the government is also making additional coal available to power plants through road transport to supplement rail deliveries and meet growing demand.

The government is reviewing coal availability and dispatches to generating stations on a daily basis through coordination among the coal, power, and railways ministries, as it seeks to ensure uninterrupted supply despite higher thermal generation and reduced hydro output.

The stock situation has drawn attention after inventories at several thermal power plants came under pressure in recent days, prompting increased coal movement to generators. The government has maintained that overall availability remains adequate despite stress at individual plants.

Reddy was speaking at a Coal Ministry event where the first sector-wide corporate social responsibility (CSR) framework for Indian coal companies was launched. The framework, which applies to both public and private coal firms, establishes a 12-stage annual planning cycle and 141 monitoring indicators, including 91 output-based and 50 outcome-based measures.

At the event, Reddy said Coal India has spent more than Rs 6,000 crore ($632.76 million) on CSR over the past decade in areas such as healthcare, education, livelihoods, and community development.