Coal prices to stay stable

Domestic coal prices, currently being offered at a discounted price compared to international prices, is likely to remain stable in the near term, P S Bhattacharya, chairman of Coal India said in Kolkata on the sidelines of Infocom.

According to Bhattacharya, global coal prices have come down to $75-80 a tonne level, while average prices in India were at a discounted $20 a tonne.

Coal India, the country's largest coal producer, accounts for 55 percent of India's energy needs.