Key facts
- India has removed export restrictions on wheat, wheat flour, maida, and semolina.
- The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification revising the export policy.
- Restrictions were initially imposed in May 2022 due to concerns over domestic food security and rising prices.
- The decision to lift restrictions comes amid improved domestic stock availability and a forecast of record wheat stockpiles.
- India's total foodgrain production reached an all-time high in the 2025-26 crop year.
India has officially lifted export restrictions on wheat, wheat flour, maida, and semolina, moving these products to the 'free' export category. The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) issued a notification on Monday announcing the policy amendment.
These restrictions were initially put in place in May 2022 to ensure domestic food security and control rising prices, exacerbated by global supply disruptions following the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The ban was extended to wheat flour in August 2022.
However, with improved domestic stock availability and a forecast for another bumper harvest, the government had previously allowed limited wheat exports in February 2026. India's total foodgrain production for the 2025-26 crop year reached an all-time high of 376.563 million tonnes, with wheat production estimated at 120.657 million tonnes.
The US Department of Agriculture projects India's domestic wheat stockpiles to end the 2026-27 season at a record level. This move could help ease supply pressures in import-dependent countries across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, particularly as Black Sea grain flows face renewed disruptions.