Kolkata, Nov 9 : Coal India Ltd aims to step up its production in the coming months to achieve its target of 875 million tonnes for the current financial year, the public sector company's Chairman and Managing Director Sanoj Kumar Jha said on Sunday.

Interacting with journalists on the sidelines of an event to celebrate the 59th Foundation Day of Hindustan Copper Ltd here, Jha said: "Today I can't say we will not meet the production target (for 2025-26). I can't say we will meet. But we will aspire that we will be able to be there or near there."

The output of CIL, which accounts for 80 per cent of India's coal production, was adversely impacted during September and October this year due to the prolonged monsoon rains affecting mining operations.

The CMD was, however, confident that CIL would meet the coal requirement of the industry and have more stocks at the end of the year than it had at the end of the previous year. Coal India has a despatch target of 900 MT for 2025-26.

CIL's production declined 9.8 per cent to 56.4 million tonnes in October, which was higher than the company's September production of 48.97 MT as rainfall was heavier during the month. However, the company plans to increase production during the remaining five months of the current financial year to cover the shortfall.

CIL produced 781 million tonnes in FY25. The country's total coal output, including captive and commercial mines, surpassed one billion tonnes in FY25 and is projected to reach 1.15 billion tonnes in FY26.

Jha, who was Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal, took over as Chairman-cum-Managing Director CIL on November 1.

The Coal India CMD also said that in the next six months, regulations on the proposed coal exchange will be in place.

The draft rules for the country's proposed coal exchange will be finalised by the end of November after examining feedback which has been received from the public, Coal Secretary Vikram Dev Dutt said recently.

According to the draft rules, the coal controller organisation (CCO) will be appointed to register and regulate the coal exchanges to be established in the country. The Ministry of Coal had invited comments from stakeholders by mid-October.

/IANS