Coal India records all-time high supplies of 70.3 million tonnes in October

Coal India all time high: the company’s coal supplies in October 2026 reached 70.3 million tonnes (MT), the highest monthly total in its history, according to a press release dated 1 November 2026. Coal production in October also reached 67.2 MT, the highest for the month in any financial year.

Supplies were up 19% from 59.2 MT in October 2025-26 (FY26). The company said it was the first time its monthly supplies had crossed 70 MT. The previous monthly high was 69.4 MT, recorded in March 2026. The company said monthly supplies had first reached 60 MT in March 2021 and had mostly stayed between 60 and 69 MT since then.

Coal India October 2026: key numbers

Measure (million tonnes)	Oct FY27	Oct FY26	Change
Total coal supplies	70.3	59.2	+19%
Supplies to the power sector	57.1	48.0	+19%
Coal production	67.2	56.38	+19%

Supplies to the power sector also crossed 57 MT for the first time, against the previous monthly high of 56.5 MT in May 2024. The subsidiary MCL crossed 20 MT in a single month for the first time in October.

Rail movement also set a record for the company. Its power-sector rake loading averaged 310 rakes a day in October, the highest monthly average in its history. The previous high was 302.8 rakes a day in March 2025.

Why the October numbers stand out

The release says the figures came despite unseasonal rainfall, the Puja festivities and a cyclone, which all disrupted operations. It also says the October figures beat the earlier records set in March, normally the peak month of the financial year. A senior official quoted in the release said the company is on the cusp of building up coal stocks, both at power plants and at pit heads. In our view, that stock build-up is the number to track, because it shows whether supply is running ahead of demand.

What to watch next

• Whether coal stocks at power plants rise in the coming months, as the company expects.
• Coal India’s dividend timetable, covered in our Coal India dividend record date story.
• More economy coverage in our economy news section.