India probing 40 coal importers for over-valuing cargoes

The move puts a fresh spotlight on the possible mislabeling of coal shipments, in which quality and price are overestimated on arrival

India is investigating 40 coal importers for suspected over-invoicing of Indonesian cargoes, coal minister G Kishan Reddy said on July 21.

The government’s department of revenue intelligence, or DRI, is conducting the probe, Reddy told lawmakers in a written reply, without elaborating.

The move puts a fresh spotlight on the possible mislabeling of coal shipments, in which quality and price are overestimated on arrival. The longstanding issue has brought both private and state-run companies under scrutiny.

India imported 243.6 million tons of coal in the year through March 2025, according to Reddy, a decrease from a record 264.5 million tons in the previous year.