Coal shortage: How power crunch may affect non-power industries

Amid a shortage of coal in the country, many non-power industries face a threat to their operations. This could prove to be a jolt to the manufacturing sector, which was recovering from the pandemic-induced lows.

As the coal supply shortage threatens possible power outages in India, many non-power industries, ranging from steel to oil refineries, also face a threat to their operations.

Coal is the primary fuel powering 70 per cent of India's energy consumption. As of October 11, over 80 per cent of the 135 coal-fired power plants in India have less than four days of stocks left, according to the data by the Central Electricity Authority.