India is exploring ways to import regular supplies of Mongolian coking coal by way of Russia, a senior government official with direct knowledge of the matter said, as New Delhi seeks to avoid over-reliance on transit through China.

Coal India Limited Chairman P M Prasad announced that while India cannot fully substitute coking coal imports, a portion can be reduced by enhancing domestic production. The country imported 57.22 MT of coking coal in 2023-24.

India is considering importing coking coal from Mongolia through Russia to reduce its reliance on transit via China, as it seeks to secure more stable supplies of the essential fuel for its steel industry,

CIL MD says coking coal import cannot be fully substituted, but can be reduced by increasing domestic production. Import reduction aims to achieve 1.5 billion tonne coal production in 4-5 years.

CIL Chairman and Managing Director P M Prasad on Monday said coking coal import cannot be substituted fully, but some part of it can be reduced.

As part of its plans to ink coking coal import contracts with Mongolia, India is working out supply routes from the landlocked country; with plans to leverage the Russian Trans-Siberian Railways to bring coal to port city of Vladivostok and then deliver it to Chennai port.

India is planning to establish a coal exchange which will aim to stabilize prices of the fuel and improve its availability, the country's coal minister G. Kishan Reddy said at an industry event on Monday.