The data on India’s domestic coal production and imports suggests that the coal crisis is largely due to decline in supply rather than high demand.

       For the first time in decades, coal supply (domestic production plus imports) was lower than consumption for four consecutive years - between 2017 and 2020 — leading to depletion of stocks in the entire supply chain. India’s total coal supply in calendar year (CY) 2020 had declined to a five-year low of 16.9 exajoules (EJ) of coal equivalent, against consumption of 17.54 EJ of coal equivalent, according to the data from BP ...