India’s edible oil import bill may rise 9% in 2025-26: SEA

India’s edible oil import bill is estimated to rise 9 per cent to Rs 1.75 lakh crore during the current marketing year ending October on higher volumes and rupee depreciation, according to industry body SEA. In a letter to the members, Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA) President Sanjeev Asthana expressed concern over rising import bills and said the oilseed revolution could no longer wait.

“India stands at a defining moment in its edible oil journey, and the warning signs are becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. The country’s edible oil import bill, which stood at Rs 1.61 lakh crore last year, is now projected to cross an unprecedented Rs 1.75 lakh crore this year,” he said. Earlier this month, SEA has reported that India’s edible oil import rose 7 per cent to 103.88 lakh tonnes during the November 2025-June 2026 period from 97.29 lakh tonnes in the corresponding period of the previous oil year. The edible oil marketing year runs from November to October.

In the first eight months of the current oil year, Asthana said the import bill stood at Rs 1.19 lakh crore as against Rs 99,000 crore in the year-ago period. “This is not merely another statistic; it represents a substantial outflow of precious foreign exchange that could otherwise be channelled into strengthening India’s agricultural infrastructure,” he observed.

Asthana pointed out that a weaker rupee has made imports costlier. “At the same time, weather uncertainties, including below-normal monsoon forecasts and delayed sowing in several oilseed-growing regions, are raising concerns over domestic production,” he added.

The SEA President said the global developments are adding further pressure.

“Indonesia’s expanding biodiesel programme is diverting larger quantities of palm oil from food to fuel, tightening global supplies, while geopolitical uncertainties and higher freight and insurance costs continue to keep international edible oil prices volatile. The net effect is that India may be compelled to import more, and pay considerably more for every tonne,” he said.

Asthana stressed on increasing oilseeds production in the country, which will help in reducing the import dependence.

On the Kharif sowing of oilseeds, the SEA pointed out that the overall acreage has remained substantially lower as on 17th July. The area under coverage so far is 147 lakh hectare compared to 155.7 lakh hectare for the same period of last year.

“Particular concern is the possibility of weaker rainfall during the critical August -September flowering period, which could adversely affect oilseed yields and further deplete reservoir levels, with implications for the forthcoming Rabi season as well,” Asthana said.

However, he said the sowing delays do not necessarily translate into lower production.

“Historically, acreage has caught up once rainfall improves. The coming weeks will therefore be decisive in determining whether Kharif 2026 regains momentum, or whether India faces yet another year of heightened import dependence,” the president said.