Coal imports may drop 3% : Govt

India could import 3 per cent less coal this financial year despite a jump in demand, Coal Minister Piyush Goyal said. This is due to an increase in local output as Prime Minister Narendra Modi pushes for power to all. The world´s third-largest coal importer wants to end its dependence on foreign supplies this decade, mainly for the variety used in power generation, and has set ambitious targets for state-run Coal India. It is also working on opening the nationalised sector to private companies. Coal requirements will jump 10 per cent to 910 million tonnes this fiscal year, Goyal said. Domestic supplies are estimated at 700 million, 15 percent more than last year, and imports could drop to 210 million tonnes. Coal India´s April-June output rose 12 percent to 121.3 million tonnes.