Coal India Opens E-Auctions to Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan Amid Domestic Demand Slump

• State-run Coal India opened e-auctions to foreign buyers from Bangladesh, Nepal, and Bhutan due to declining local demand for power generation.
• The move aims to boost Coal India's margins and reverse the trend of lower off-take volumes, as domestic coal demand has been tepid.
• India's coal-based power generation has fallen in 7 of the past 12 months, with renewable energy penetration increasing.
• Neighboring countries previously bought Indian coal through traders; direct participation will replace this existing demand rather than adding new volume.
• Coal India's shares surged over 6% to 426 rupees, reaching their highest in more than a year, following the announcement.

Why It Matters: Coal India expands market to neighbors via e-auctions to counter domestic demand decline and boost revenue.