India's thermal coal imports fell to their lowest level in nine months in November, according to data from consultancy Coalmint, owing primarily to an increase in domestic coal production. According to Coalmint data, the country imported 10.83 million tonne of thermal coal in November, compared to 12.03 million tonnes in October and 9.45 million tonnes in November 2021.

Imports fell primarily as a result of increased production by state-owned Coal India, which accounts for 80 per cent of India's coal output. During the first eight months of this fiscal year, the world's largest coal miner increased output by a sixth to 412.6 million tonne, putting it on track to meet annual production targets for the first time since at least 2010.

The drop in shipments of power generation fuel in November marked the fifth consecutive month in which imports fell compared to the previous month, according to the data. Coking coal imports fell to 4.56 million tonne in November, down from 4.95 million tonne in October and 5.3 million tonne in November 2021. India is the world's second-largest importer, consumer, and producer of coal, with major suppliers including Indonesia, Australia, South Africa, Russia, and the United States.

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