Indian Utilities’ Coal Imports Climb 70%, India Coal Watch Says.

India’s power utilities boosted imports of coal by about 70 percent in the first six months of the year ending March 2012, India Coal Market Watch said.

Overseas coal purchases rose to 20.9 million metric tons between April and September from 12.3 million tons from a year earlier period, the coal newsletter said, citing data from the Central Electricity Authority.

Generators have a target to import 55 million tons this fiscal year, India Coal said. Imports in September rose 51 percent from a year earlier to 2.65 million tons.

Source : bloomberg.com