Changing import landscape: India Inc shops abroad for cheap, better coal

Indian firms over the past 10 years have made trips to Italy, Bhutan, and Macau among more than 24 destinations. 

These weren’t pleasure trips but business travels aimed at finding cheaper and suitable grades of coal.

Between 2007-08 and 2017-18, the number of countries they imported steam coal from has increased from six to 12.

In 2015-16, the number went up to 24.

Coal is one the largest contributors to the cost of generating thermal power. It is because of this and inefficiencies in domestic coal production that Indian power companies are sourcing coal from other countries. However, with the