Coal India to focus on realisations, productivity and cost control

Coal India plans to concentrate on enhancing realisations, productivity, and cost control in order to bolster its earnings, said Chairman B Sairam at the company's 52nd Annual General Meeting. Sairam emphasized that the company aims to improve the quality and sustainability of its earnings. He outlined several strategies, including improving realisation, enhancing productivity, containing controllable costs, and increasing asset utilisation.

Realisation refers to the average price Coal India earns from coal sales; a decline in this metric contributed to the company's reduced profitability in the previous financial year. Despite stable revenue, profitability and margins deteriorated due to lower realisation, increased depreciation from ongoing capital investments, and higher contractual and statutory expenses.

During the first quarter of the current financial year, Coal India saw an 8 percent increase in revenue and a modest rise in profit after tax, driven by higher average selling prices and increased coal offtake. The company anticipates that its investments in mining and new ventures will further boost earnings as these projects become operational.

Sairam reiterated Coal India's goal to produce about one billion tonnes of coal by 2030 and 70 million tonnes from underground mines. Additionally, the company aims to achieve 9.5 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, expand its coal evacuation infrastructure, and bolster its coal gasification business. As the world's largest coal producer, Coal India accounts for nearly three-quarters of India's domestic coal output.

The company is diversifying its operations by investing in renewable energy, coal gasification, and critical minerals.