New Delhi, November 1: Coal India Limited (CIL), the country's largest coal producer, marked its 51st Foundation Day on Sunday by posting the highest monthly coal supply and production figures in its history for October 2026, according to an official statement reported by IANS.

Source: IANS

CIL's total coal supply reached 70.3 million tonnes (MT) in October, the highest in any single month, surpassing the previous record of 69.4 MT set in March 2026, the Ministry of Coal said. Production rose to 67.2 MT, the company's highest-ever for the month of October, beating the earlier October record of 62.47 MT from 2024. Both supply and production grew about 19 per cent year-on-year.

Source: Ministry of Coal via TradingView

70.3 MTTotal coal supply in October — highest in any month
67.2 MTCoal production in October — a record for the month
57.1 MTSupply to power sector — all-time monthly high
+19%Year-on-year growth in supply and production

Supplies to the power sector, which depends on CIL for the bulk of its coal, also touched an all-time monthly high of 57.1 MT in October, up 19 per cent on the same month last year. Record fuel movement to power plants matters because coal still generates the largest share of India's electricity, and comfortable stocks at plants reduce the risk of shortages in peak demand months.

Coal India was established on November 1, 1975. The company produced 79 MT in its first year of operations; output has since climbed to 768 MT in the financial year 2025-26. For the current financial year 2026-27, CIL has been assigned a production target of 815 MT, Daily Kiran reported, citing the official statement.

Source: Daily Kiran (IANS)

What happens next: the October surge, which followed the monsoon-season slowdown in mining, sets the pace CIL must sustain through the winter and summer demand peaks if it is to close in on the 815 MT target for 2026-27. Monthly production and supply figures for November will show whether the record run holds.