India power crunch raises concern about aluminum production

NEW DELHI -- India finds itself in the midst of a power crisis similar to the one darkening China after coal inventories have fallen to just a four-day supply. A shortage of coal is increasing costs across India's manufacturing sector, prompting concern it could quickly feed through to a rise in inflation.

Coal accounts for about 70% of electricity generation in Asia's third-largest economy. Of 135 thermal plants in the country, 107 do not have enough coal to last more than a week, while 17 have already used up their supply and 21 have only one day left, according to the country's Central Electricity Authority data.