The Ministry of Coal, through the Office of the Nominated Authority, on May 04, 2026, released the provisional National Coal Index (NCI) with base year 2017-18 for March 2026. The overall Indian coal index increased from 133.42 in February 2026 to 138.96 in March 2026, indicating a rise in coal prices across sectors. The Non-coking Coal Index rose from 129.53 to 134.30, while the Coking Coal Index increased from 144.62 to 152.37.
Among sub-categories, top-grade non-coking coal (G1-G6/imported) increased significantly from 138.10 to 147.13, while top-grade coking coal (ST-I/ST-II or imported) rose from 151.97 to 161.83. Representative prices also reflected an upward trend, with G1 coal increasing from ₹9,741/ton in February 2026 to ₹10,157/ton in March 2026, and ST-I coking coal rising from ₹20,149/ton to ₹21,469/ton.
The Ministry further clarified that the National Coal Index and representative coal prices remain provisional as import data for the relevant month is still provisional. Historical datasets relating to the National Coal Index and representative prices have also been provided in the annexures accompanying the Office Memorandum.
[File No. NA/102/3/2017-NA]
