India’s Roadmap to Edible Oil Self-Reliance by 2047: Why the Government Must Lead from the Front
India faces a growing edible-oil gap, with domestic production lagging behind rising demand. The Kisan-Vigyan Foundation’s white paper urges a strategic, long-term plan combining MSP-backed incomes, yield improvement, modernised procurement, and calibrated import management. Coordinated government action is essential to achieve nutritional security and self-reliance by 2047.
New Delhi: India faces a structural edible-oil challenge: rapidly rising domestic demand driven by population growth and changing diets, while domestic oilseed production has failed to keep pace. If current trends persist, the country will require roughly 46.5 million tonnes of edible oil by 2047, leaving a persistent gap that will continue to be filled largely by imports unless a sustained, strategic effort is made now. The Kisan-Vigyan Foundation, in its white paper Edible Oil – Strategising for 2047, lays out why government leadership is the crucial missing link to convert ambition into outcomes.
The fiscal and strategic imperative
Imported edible oils already cost the exchequer dearly and expose the nation to geopolitical and supply risks. Beyond the headline foreign-exchange burden lies an erosion of domestic processing capacity, weakened farmer incentives and long-term nutritional risks when cheap imported fats displace traditional domestic oils. To protect both macroeconomic stability and nutritional sovereignty, the centre must design a multi-decadal, integrated programme that aligns procurement, research, trade policy and public health objectives.
MSP context and implications for public policy
Minimum Support Price (MSP) levels send powerful signals to farmers and markets. The table below reproduces the most recent MSP schedule for selected crops (2024–25 versus 2025–26) and shows the growth percentage, which is essential context for any policy discussion about incentive structures and procurement coverage.
| CROP | MSP 2024-25 (₹/quintal) | MSP 2025-26 (₹/quintal) | INCREASE (₹) | GROWTH (%) |
| Nigerseed | 8,717 | 9,537 | 820 | 9.41 |
| Sesamum | 9,267 | 9,846 | 579 | 6.25 |
| Soybean (Yellow) | 4,892 | 5,328 | 436 | 8.91 |
| Sunflower Seed | 7,280 | 7,721 | 441 | 6.06 |
| Groundnut | 6,783 | 7,263 | 480 | 7.08 |
These MSP adjustments, while positive, will not by themselves transform production patterns unless procurement mechanisms, market access and price-stabilisation measures are strengthened. The government must convert MSP signals into assured returns by expanding procurement coverage and developing decentralised procurement hubs in key oilseed belts.
A time-bound public architecture
A credible national programme requires an architecture built around three pillars: assured farmer incomes, fast-tracked yield improvement and a calibrated import strategy. On incomes, the government needs to ensure MSP procurement covers a far greater share of acreage, backed by a dedicated price stabilisation fund that cushions farmers during global price shocks.
On productivity, public investment in oilseed research, seed replacement and micro-irrigation must be scaled up with measurable targets and clear accountability. On trade, India must adopt a dynamic import duty framework, diversify sourcing, and build a strategic edible-oil reserve to manage volatility.
Institutional instruments and governance
The government must repurpose existing institutions and create new ones where necessary. Public procurement agencies and state procurement systems must be modernised with digital traceability and grading.
A public–private import consortium model can be used to negotiate long-term contracts and reduce price risk, while edible-oil innovation clusters across key agroecological zones should translate research into field results. Coordination between ministries of agriculture, commerce, health and finance is essential to ensure policies do not work at cross-purposes.
Edible oil is both an economic and a nutritional strategic asset. If India is to meet its ambitious nutritional and sovereign goals by 2047, the Government must act as the chief architect of a long-term, time-bound initiative that aligns MSP, procurement, R&D, trade diplomacy and public health. The Kisan-Vigyan Foundation’s white paper offers a blueprint; implementation at scale and with accountability will determine whether India converts that blueprint into lasting self-reliance.
About Kisan-Vigyan Foundation
Kisan-Vigyan Foundation (KAKV) is a think-tank created to focus on Food & Feed Security of India and to support policies for the economic welfare of the farmers. The foundation has strong governing council members from core sectors of agriculture to work on fact-based research findings and to raise concerns where necessary.
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Source : Global Agriculture
