India’s edible oil imports up 3.27% in Nov-Sept on higher palm oil shipments
India’s edible oil imports rose 3.27% to 151.64 lakh tonnes during November–September 2025-26, driven by higher palm and soybean oil shipments. Sunflower oil imports declined 1.9%, while crude oil imports increased and refined oil imports fell sharply. Edible oil prices also rose year-on-year.
India’s edible oil imports increased by 3.27 per cent during the first 11 months of the oil year 2025-26 (November-October), supported by higher palm oil imports.
According to the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), India imported 151.64 lakh tonnes (lt) of edible oil in the first 11 months of the oil year 2025-26 (November-October) against 146.83 lt in the corresponding period of the previous oil year 2024-25.
Total palm oil (including RBD palmolein and crude palm oil) imports increased to 73.52 lt in November-September 2025-26 from 69.80 lt in the corresponding period of the previous oil year, registering a growth of 5.32 per cent.
Soybean oil imports up
India’s soybean oil imports increased by 3.25 per cent from 50.13 lt in November-September 2024-25 to 51.76 lt in November-September 2025-26.
However, sunflower oil imports declined by 1.90 per cent from 26.75 lt in November-September 2024-25 to 26.24 lt in November-September 2025-26.
BV Mehta, Executive Director of SEA, said imports of refined oils from Nepal to India continued at significant levels. During November-September 2025-26, Nepal exported 6.82 lt of refined oils to India. This included 6.05 lt of refined soybean oil, 37,734 tonnes of refined sunflower oil, 31,633 tonnes of RBD palmolein, and 7,189 tonnes of rapeseed oil.
He said Nepal is importing mainly crude soybean oil, also small quantities of crude sunflower oil and crude palm oil. After refining, it is exporting refined oil to India. Nepal enjoys nil import duty under SAFTA agreement for export to India, he said.
Crude vs refined oil
Imports of refined edible oils declined sharply to 7.40 lt in the first 11 months of the oil year 2025-26, from 16.89 lt in the corresponding period of the previous oil year. Stating that the share of refined edible oils in the total edible oil imports declined to 5 per cent from 12 per cent earlier, Mehta attributed this decline to the negligible imports of refined palmolein from Indonesia and Malaysia during the period.
However, crude edible oil imports increased from 129.93 lt in November-September 2024-25 to 144.23 lt to November-September 2025-26. He said this increase was primarily driven by higher imports of crude palm oil, which replaced imports of refined palmolein.
Major exporters
Argentina was the largest supplier of edible oils to India with 34.43 lt. This included 27.14 lt of crude soybean oil and 7.29 lt of sunflower oils
Russia exported 12.89 lt of edible oils to India. This included 11.76 lt of crude sunflower oil followed by 1.12 lt of crude soybean oil.
India imported 29.76 lt of palm oil from Malaysia. This included 29.42 lt of crude palm oil, 19,998 tonnes of RBD palmolein, and 14,850 tonnes of crude palm kernel oil.
Indonesia exported 29.05 lt of palm oils to India during the period. This included 28.60 lt of crude palm oil and 45,180 tonnes of RBD palmolein.
Price increase
Mehta said most edible oil prices recorded an increase in September 2026 when compared with September 2025.
RBD palmolein price increased by 9.7 per cent, from $1,119 a tonne to $1,228 a tonne, while crude palm oil rose by 10.4 per cent, from $1,164 a tonne to $1,285 a tonne.
Crude soybean oil price increased by 11.2 per cent, from $1,182 a tonne to $1,314 a tonne. Crude sunflower oil price increase by 10.8 per cent, from $1,293 a tonne to $1,432 a tonne.
He said the exchange rate also increased from ₹88.32 to ₹95.51 per US dollar, representing a depreciation of the rupee by approximately 8.1 per cent.
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Source : The Hindu Businessline
