Coal India shares fall 5% as firm absorbs cost surge, cuts e-auction prices

Shares of Coal India Ltd. declined 5% on Friday, April 10, after the company announced a reduction in coal reserve prices in its single-window, mode-agnostic e-auction segment, even as input costs continue to surge.

The move signals the company's decision to absorb rising costs rather than pass them on to consumers, with a stated objective of keeping coal prices affordable and containing downstream cost pressures.

Coal India said it intends to supply the dry fuel at reasonable prices to support end-users, despite a sharp spike in key input costs.

ALSO READ | Groww shares hit new post-listing high after 5% surge on strong volumes

Among the major cost pressures, the price of ammonium nitrate, a key raw material for explosives, has surged 44% from pre-war levels of ₹50,500 per metric tonne to ₹72,750 per metric tonne as of April 1, 2026.

Explosives costs have also risen 26%, increasing from ₹39,588 per metric tonne in February 2026 to ₹49,783 per metric tonne by the end of March.

Additionally, industrial diesel prices have jumped 54%, from ₹92 per litre in mid-March to ₹142 per litre as of April 1.

Despite these sharp increases, Coal India's pricing decision indicates a deliberate effort to shield customers from inflationary pressures, which appears to have weighed on investor sentiment.