Russian coal exports to India fall 2% in H1 2026

Russian coal exports to India weakened slightly in H1 2026, even as Russia increased its share of India’s shrinking coal import market.

In H1 2026, Russian coal exports to India declined to 14.5 mio t (-0.3 mio t or -2.0% y-o-y).

India’s total coal imports dropped to 118.9 mio t (-12.4 mio t or -9.4%, y-o-y).

Russia accounted for 12.2% of India’s coal imports in H1 2026, up 0.9 percentage points from the same period in 2025.
Indonesia, India’s largest coal supplier, reduced exports to 42.8 mio t (-9.0 mio t or -17.4% y-o-y). Australian shipments totaled 16.7 mio t (-0.1 mio t or -0.6% y-o-y). South Africa exported 16.4 mio t (-2.7 mio t or -14.1% y-o-y). The US increased deliveries to 13.2 mio t (+1.1 mio t or +9.1% y-o-y).

Russian coal exports to India are expected to decline further in H2 2026 due to the suspension of seaborne shipments through ports in the Azov-Black Sea basin, following Ukrainian drone attacks on commercial vessels, that have already pushed global prices higher.

Coal remains the primary source of electricity in India, accounting for around 75% of the country’s power generation. India ranks second globally in coal-fired generation after China. By 2036, India plans to expand its coal-fired power capacity by 38% to 315 GW, up from 228 GW in 2026.

Source: CCA