India Lifts Export Curbs on Wheat Flour, Maida, Semolina Amid Record Grain Output

The Indian government has lifted export curbs on wheat flour, maida, and semolina after a record grain output. The decision comes after restrictions were imposed in 2022 to ensure domestic food security and contain rising prices.

The Centre had changed the export policy for wheat from free to prohibited on May 13, 2022, and extended the restrictions to wheat flour exports in August that year. However, certain exceptions were permitted for specific wheat products, including a limited allowance of 25 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of wheat and an additional 5 LMT of wheat products in February this year.

The government's decision to lift export curbs follows India's record grain production. According to data released in May, the country's total foodgrain production increased by 5.3 per cent to an all-time high of 376.563 million tonnes in 2025-26 compared with the corresponding figure of 357.732 million tonnes for the previous year.