Russian coal exports to India nearly triple to 3.62 million tonnes in July

July shipments rise across both coal segments

Russian coal exports to India reached 3.62 million tonnes in July 2026, nearly 2.9 times the volume shipped in the same month a year earlier, according to calculations by commodity market intelligence provider BigMint reported by Kommersant. Russia recorded the fastest July growth among India’s major coal suppliers.

Coking-coal shipments tripled year on year to 1.8 million tonnes, while thermal-coal exports increased 2.5-fold to 1.82 million tonnes. Compared with June, the two flows rose by 50% and 21%, respectively. The almost even split between metallurgical and energy grades shows that Russian suppliers are gaining business from both Indian steelmakers and industrial fuel consumers.

Russia was India’s second-largest source of coking coal in July, behind Australia, which supplied 3.5 million tonnes. The position is commercially significant because India is expanding steel output while global steel production is declining, according to representatives of Russian producer Raspadskaya. The company said India now accounts for the main share of its export deliveries.

Discounts strengthen Russia’s position

Russian thermal-coal deliveries to India rose 48% year on year in the first seven months of 2026 to 7.2 million tonnes, BigMint data showed. That placed Russia fourth among the leading suppliers, after Indonesia with 49 million tonnes, South Africa with 19 million tonnes and the United States with 9.1 million tonnes. BigMint did not provide a seven-month figure for Russian coking-coal shipments.

BigMint attributed the increasing share of Russian thermal coal to discounts and competitive freight rates. These factors are particularly important for Indian cement producers, whose fuel purchasing decisions are sensitive to the delivered cost of coal. The combination allows Russian material to compete against established suppliers even though India can source thermal coal from several large exporting regions.

The July figures also reflect the wider redirection of Russian commodity flows toward Asian buyers. For Indian purchasers, the surge broadens the supplier mix and increases access to discounted cargoes. For Russian miners, India provides demand for both thermal grades and coal used to make coke, reducing dependence on markets that have become harder to serve.

Port access creates a logistical risk

The durability of the increase will depend partly on transport routes. NEFT Research said limited availability at Russia’s southern ports requires Indian buyers of Russian coking coal to arrange alternative supply routes in advance. Shipping risks in the Black Sea add to the pressure on southern export channels.

Market experts cited by Kommersant estimated that Indian importers could replace around 25% of Russian shipments, partly or entirely, with coal from Australia and the United States. Redirecting Russian cargoes through eastern and northwestern ports would increase pressure on rail infrastructure, while higher logistics costs could erode exporters’ price competitiveness. Long-term contracts are still supporting Indian interest, but the balance between discounts, freight and route reliability will determine whether July’s exceptional growth can be sustained.