Power sector's coal conundrum: How flawed reforms make imports inevitable

India has the world's fifth largest coal reserves at 60.6 billion tonnes, but just one, monopoly supplier: Coal India Ltd (CIL), the world's largest coal-producing company

In July, Union Minister for Power R K Singh said the coal shortage would persist for two or three years, so states had been allowed to import coal. Around the same time, Union Minister for Coal Piyush Goyal said power-related coal imports had dropped 15 per cent over April-May this year owing to higher supplies from Coal India.

The disconnect between the two statements by ministers in the same government reflects the problems that afflict coal supply in India. Despite some significant reforms since 2015, the same structural issues plague power plants. Between the desire to be a zero-thermal coal