Guided story
What powers India?
A deep dive into India's energy system: electricity generation, fuel imports, and the slow shift to clean power.
What generates India's electricity?
India's electricity is still overwhelmingly coal-driven. In 2025, coal generated 1,474 TWh, or 70.8% of total generation. Clean sources together generated 555 TWh, or 26.7%. Gas was much smaller at 48.5 TWh, or 2.3%. So the first answer to "what powers India?" is simple for electricity: coal is the backbone, clean power is now a serious second block, and gas is marginal.
Electricity is the visible layer
India · 2025
Coal supplies 70.8% of India's electricity, while clean sources make up 26.7%.
This stacked bar shows the 2025 electricity generation mix. Coal is the largest block at 1,474 TWh. Clean sources together produce 555 TWh. Gas is much smaller at 48.5 TWh. Read this as the electricity layer only; oil, coal imports, and LNG imports sit outside the grid chart.
How has the electricity mix changed over time?
The long-run chart shows why the transition feels slow even when renewables are growing fast. Coal generation rose from 390 TWh in 2000 to 1,474 TWh in 2025. Clean generation rose from 96 TWh to 555 TWh over the same period, which is a much faster multiple, but still a smaller absolute base. Gas went the other way, from 56 TWh in 2000 to 48.5 TWh in 2025. The grid is getting cleaner at the margin, but coal has not disappeared; it has grown with demand.
Coal, clean power, and gas generation
Ember · electricity generation
2025 · latest point
Coal is still much larger in absolute generation, even as clean power grows faster.
Coal rose from 390 TWh in 2000 to 1,474 TWh in 2025. Clean generation rose from 96 TWh to 555 TWh. Gas fell from 56 TWh to 48.5 TWh. The clean line has grown quickly, but the coal line remains the top line.
How much crude oil does India import each month?
PPAC's current 2025-26 report shows crude oil imports of 245.4 million tonnes for the fiscal year. Monthly crude imports were consistently large, mostly around 19 to 22 million tonnes: 21.0 million tonnes in April 2025, a low of 18.9 million tonnes in July, and a high of 21.6 million tonnes in December. In value terms, PPAC reports a crude import bill of $123.1 billion. Oil is the big import-exposure layer of India's energy system.
Crude oil imports in 2025-26
PPAC · CRUDE OIL · current fiscal year
PPAC reports 245.4 million tonnes of crude imports in 2025-26.
Monthly crude imports mostly sit around 19 to 22 million tonnes. April is 21.0 million tonnes, July is 18.9 million tonnes, and December is 21.6 million tonnes. The annual crude import bill is $123.1 billion.
What India pays per barrel
The PPAC Indian crude basket puts a price on that dependence. The endpoint gives usable fiscal-year averages of $44.6/bbl in 2020-21, $78.9/bbl in 2021-22, $82.5/bbl in 2023-24, and $78.6/bbl in 2024-25. Its latest current row is 2026-27 year-to-date, averaging $110.4/bbl from the available months. That latest point is not a full-year average, but it shows the pressure clearly: when the basket price rises, the same crude-import volume costs many more dollars.
What India pays per barrel
PPAC · international-prices-crude-oil.indian-basket.$-per-bbl
2026-27 · latest point
PPAC's latest current row puts the Indian crude basket at $110.4/bbl year-to-date for 2026-27.
The PPAC endpoint gives fiscal-year averages of $44.6/bbl in 2020-21, $78.9/bbl in 2021-22, $82.5/bbl in 2023-24, and $78.6/bbl in 2024-25. The latest 2026-27 point is a year-to-date current-row average, not a completed fiscal year.
Fuel import bill in dollars
Put the fuel imports next to each other and crude oil dominates. In 2025-26, PPAC puts crude oil imports at $123.1 billion. TradeStat puts coal imports at $26.7 billion. PPAC puts petroleum product imports at $20.9 billion and LNG imports at $13.3 billion. Together, these four buckets are about $184 billion. The electricity story begins with coal, but the macroeconomic story begins with the import bill.
Fuel import bill in dollars
PPAC + TradeStat · India fuel imports · 2025-26
Crude oil alone cost $123.1 billion in 2025-26.
The chart compares four import buckets: crude oil at $123.1 billion, coal at $26.7 billion, petroleum products at $20.9 billion, and LNG at $13.3 billion. Crude dominates the dollar bill.
Fuel import bill in rupees
The rupee view makes the scale more legible for Indian readers. In 2025-26, crude oil imports cost ₹10,88,904 crore. Coal imports cost ₹2,35,954 crore. Petroleum product imports cost ₹1,83,890 crore. LNG imports cost ₹1,17,542 crore. Crude is the largest by far, but coal, products, and LNG together are still large enough to matter for the trade balance and for any serious energy-security story.
Fuel import bill in rupees
PPAC + TradeStat · India fuel imports · 2025-26
Crude oil imports cost ₹10,88,904 crore in 2025-26.
The rupee chart shows crude oil at ₹10,88,904 crore, coal at ₹2,35,954 crore, petroleum products at ₹1,83,890 crore, and LNG at ₹1,17,542 crore.
Which countries supply India's crude oil?
TradeStat's 2025-26 partner table shows the current crude import map. Russia is the largest supplier by value at $40.8 billion, followed by Iraq at $23.1 billion, Saudi Arabia at $19.5 billion, the UAE at $15.1 billion, and the US at $9.9 billion. Kuwait, Nigeria, Angola, Brazil, and Qatar follow. This is the latest origin snapshot; the next chart shows how unusual Russia's rise is when viewed over time.
Where India's crude oil imports come from
TradeStat / DGCI&S · India imports · 2025-26
Russia is the largest current crude supplier at $40.8 billion.
TradeStat's 2025-26 partner table ranks Russia first at $40.8 billion, then Iraq at $23.1 billion, Saudi Arabia at $19.5 billion, the UAE at $15.1 billion, and the US at $9.9 billion.
How did Russia become India's top crude supplier?
Russia was not literally zero in the earlier TradeStat window, but it was small. In 2017-18 India imported about $1.2 billion of Russian crude, ranked 14th among suppliers. It stayed small through 2021-22, then jumped to $31.0 billion in 2022-23, became number one at $46.5 billion in 2023-24, peaked at $50.3 billion in 2024-25, and still led at $40.8 billion in 2025-26. At the same time, Iran falls from $9.0 billion in 2017-18 and $12.1 billion in 2018-19 to zero in later years. This is the clearest geopolitical shift in the energy-trade data.
How Russia became a major crude supplier
TradeStat / DGCI&S · HS 270900 crude oil imports by partner · 2017-18 to 2025-26
2025-26 · latest point
Russia rose from $1.2 billion in 2017-18 to $50.3 billion in 2024-25, then $40.8 billion in 2025-26.
Russia ranked 14th in 2017-18, stayed small through 2021-22, jumped to $31.0 billion in 2022-23, and became the largest supplier in 2023-24. Iran moves the other way, falling to zero after 2019-20 in this series.
Where does India import its coal from?
Coal still powers most electricity, and imported coal adds another dependency layer. TradeStat's 2025-26 HS 2701 table has Australia and Indonesia almost tied at the top, with $6.2 billion each. Russia follows at $3.4 billion, the US at $3.3 billion, and South Africa at $2.9 billion. These are value rankings, not heat-content rankings, so price and coal grade both affect the order.
Where India's coal imports come from
TradeStat / DGCI&S · India imports · 2025-26
Australia and Indonesia are almost tied at about $6.2 billion each.
TradeStat's 2025-26 coal table shows Australia at $6.2 billion and Indonesia at $6.2 billion, followed by Russia at $3.4 billion, the US at $3.3 billion, and South Africa at $2.9 billion.
Which countries supply India's LNG?
LNG is smaller than crude and coal, but it is still a named import channel. TradeStat's 2025-26 LNG table is led by Qatar at $5.6 billion, followed by the UAE at $1.5 billion, the US at $1.4 billion, Angola at $1.3 billion, Oman at $1.2 billion, and Nigeria at $1.2 billion. This is LNG under HS 271111, not pipeline gas.
Where India's LNG imports come from
TradeStat / DGCI&S · India imports · 2025-26
Qatar is the largest LNG supplier at $5.6 billion.
The 2025-26 LNG table is led by Qatar at $5.6 billion, the UAE at $1.5 billion, the US at $1.4 billion, Angola at $1.3 billion, Oman at $1.2 billion, and Nigeria at $1.2 billion.
How much LNG does India import each month?
PPAC reports 25.8 million tonnes of LNG imports in 2025-26, equal to 34,216 MMSCM, with a value of $13.3 billion. Monthly LNG imports usually sit around 2.0 to 2.4 million tonnes, with September and October both around 2.44 million tonnes. PPAC marks the March 2026 value as provisional, so the final row can move when official trade data is finalized.
LNG import volumes in 2025-26
PPAC · Total LNG Imports (Long Term, Spot) · current fiscal year
PPAC reports 25.8 million tonnes of LNG imports in 2025-26.
Monthly LNG imports are mostly around 2.0 to 2.4 million tonnes. September and October are both near 2.44 million tonnes. PPAC marks the March 2026 value as provisional.
What about petroleum product imports?
India imports crude at a much larger scale than finished petroleum products, but product imports are not zero. PPAC puts petroleum product imports at $20.9 billion in 2025-26, while product exports are $41.1 billion. TradeStat's product-origin table is led by Russia at $3.5 billion, Korea at $1.2 billion, the UAE at $1.1 billion, Iraq at $698 million, Singapore at $532 million, and Qatar at $401 million. India is a major refiner, but it still imports selected products.
Where petroleum product imports come from
TradeStat / DGCI&S · India imports · 2025-26
Russia leads petroleum product import origins at $3.5 billion.
TradeStat's product-origin table is led by Russia at $3.5 billion, Korea at $1.2 billion, the UAE at $1.1 billion, Iraq at $698 million, Singapore at $532 million, and Qatar at $401 million. PPAC puts total product imports at $20.9 billion.
Is India's electricity grid getting cleaner?
Yes, per unit. Ember's carbon-intensity series falls from about 740 gCO2/kWh in 2000 to about 670 gCO2/kWh in 2025. That is real progress, but it is gradual because coal generation remains large. The country can make each unit of electricity cleaner while total generation, and therefore total fuel demand, keeps rising.
The grid is getting cleaner per unit
Ember · emissions_intensity_gco2_per_kwh
2025 · latest point
Electricity carbon intensity fell from about 740 to 670 gCO2/kWh between 2000 and 2025.
The direction is cleaner, but the fall is gradual because coal generation remains large while total demand rises.
How fast is electricity demand climbing?
Electricity demand rose from 573 TWh in 2000 to 2,083 TWh in 2025. Per-capita electricity demand rose from 0.5 MWh to 1.4 MWh over the same period. This is the core constraint on the transition: clean generation has to grow against a moving target. The system is not just replacing old coal; it is trying to meet new demand at the same time.
Electricity demand keeps climbing
Ember · demand_twh
2025 · latest point
Electricity demand grew from 573 TWh in 2000 to 2,083 TWh in 2025.
Demand growth explains why clean power has to grow very quickly. It is competing against a rising baseline, not a fixed electricity system.