India Lifts Wheat Export Ban Amid Global Price Pressures

India has lifted its four-year ban on wheat exports, allowing unrestricted shipments of grain and flour overseas. The decision follows months of quota-based exports, which were implemented to ease food-security concerns after a comfortable stockpile was built up.

The Directorate General of Foreign Trade revised the wheat export policy from 'prohibited' to 'free', making it easier for traders to ship different varieties such as durum wheat, flour, semolina, maida, and wholemeal atta abroad. This move replaces the quota-based system introduced in 2022, when the government allowed exports of up to 50 lakh tonnes of wheat and 10 lakh tonnes of wheat products via licenses.

Despite the policy change, traders say that Indian wheat is still too expensive for most global markets, which may limit shipments. The removal of restrictions is intended to increase domestic prices, improve returns for wheat growers, and encourage good sowing in the coming rabi season. India's Food Secretary Sanjeev Chopra stated that 'the export ban has been lifted in the interest of farmers', adding that allowing exports will help them receive better prices.

India is the second-largest producer of wheat in the world, having produced a record 120.65 million tonnes in the 2025-26 crop year. The country also has around 49 million tonnes in reserves. However, high prices could threaten shipments, as India's decision comes amid reports of attacks on ports and commercial vessels in the Black Sea, disrupting shipments from major wheat exporters Russia and Ukraine.