The Coal Trader

Weak Coal Generation in India in October

  • India’s total power generation fell 6% y/y in October 2025 to 142.45 billion kWh — the sharpest decline since the pandemic. Data from Grid-India show subdued industrial activity and unseasonably wet weather cut cooling needs and electricity demand.

  • Coal-fired generation, which supplies ≈75% of India’s electricity, fell 13.2% y/y to 98.38 billion kWh — its steepest fall since June 2020. Coal-based output has now declined in six of ten months this year, the weakest run since the pandemic.

  • Prolonged rainfall and major festivals happening in October dampened factory output and overall power consumption. Aurora Energy’s Debabrat Ghosh pointed to reduced industrial operations during holidays.

  • Growth in electricity use has slowed through 2025 amid a broader economic deceleration and the weather-related drop in cooling demand.

  • The downturn hit Coal India Ltd., the dominant state-owned miner that provides roughly three-quarters of national supply; it reported its worst profit drop in five years for the September quarter, with October production down ≈10% and deliveries to power plants off 6%.

  • In contrast, renewable generation jumped 30% to 19.75 billion kWh, highlighting the sector’s growing share in India’s electricity mix.

(Source: Reuters, Nov 3 2025)