Indian consultancy Coalmint expects September thermal coal imports from Russia to decline 30% from August to 1.4 million tonnes, it said in a note to clients. London-based analytics firm DBX Commodities estimates Indian shipments of the power generation fuel to fall to 1.5 million tonnes this month from 1.9 million tonnes in August, Chief Executive Alexandre Claude told Reuters on Thursday. Coal shipments from Russia had risen in July and August despite a decline in overall Indian imports of the fuel, making Russia India's third largest coal supplier. DBX expects India's total thermal coal imports to fall to about 13 million tonnes from 15 million tonnes in August, Claude said. "(Overall Indian) thermal coal imports have been declining since June as the heatwave then started to recede and the economy started to falter," he said.

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