India on Monday removed restrictions on wheat exports, allowing traders to ship the grain and flour freely after months of quota-based exports, as comfortable government stocks eased food-security concerns. Because indian wheat remains too expensive for most overseas markets, however, traders said the policy change may not immediately translate into large shipments.
The move comes alongside a separate notification freeing exports of wheat flour and related products, including atta, maida and semolina. The government had initially allowed wheat exports only in limited quantities. The move also comes as global wheat supplies face disruption.
Because government wheat stocks are comfortable and there is no immediate food security concern, the head of an international commodity trading association told HT that the decision was made possible. Because indian wheat is currently priced higher than global prices, but he said exports remain difficult. It first opened a 2.5 million tonne quota in February and later approved another 2.5 million tonnes, taking the total quantity permitted for export to 5 million tonnes. Government wheat procurement during the 2026-27 marketing season reached about 35.76 million tonnes, exceeding the revised target of 34.6 million tonnes. Attacks on Russian and Ukrainian grain infrastructure have disrupted Black Sea shipments, while Chicago wheat futures have risen more than 17% since early July, traders said. “At an exchange rate of ₹ 95.7 to the dollar, Black Sea wheat at about $270 a tonne works out to roughly ₹ 2,580 per 100 kg before freight. Once freight to Southeast Asia is added, the price rises to about $310-315 a tonne, or roughly ₹ 2,970-3,015 per 100 kg,” he said. Indian wheat at Kandla—a major commercial port in Gujarat—would need to be around ₹ 2,600 per 100 kg for exporters to roughly break even. Right now, prices are hovering at about ₹ 2,700 per 100 kg, he said. Earlier reporting noted: Government lifts ban on wheat exports, cites farmers’ interests amid depressed local prices The government on Monday (August 24, 2026) lifted the export ban on wheat and wheat products with immediate effect and said the decision is aimed at boosting farmers’ income amid depressed domestic prices. Earlier reporting noted: Early this year, the government had allowed the export of 50 lakh tonnes of wheat and 10 lakh tonnes of wheat products.
The Directorate General of Foreign Trade ( DGFT ), in a notification dated August 24, revised the export policy for durum wheat and other wheat from “Prohibited” to “Free” with immediate effect. “It is at this price equation that earlier export quotas have not translated into anything close to the permitted volumes,” the person citing above said, requesting anonymity. Earlier reporting noted: “The export policy of wheat…. is revised from prohibited to free with immediate effect,” according to notifications issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade.
