India clears another 2.5 million tonnes of wheat exports amid strong harvest outlook
India has allowed another 2.5 million tonnes of wheat exports, taking the permitted total to 5 million tonnes as officials point to comfortable stocks and the likelihood of another strong harvest.
India has approved another 2.5 million tonnes of wheat exports, taking the total volume allowed for overseas shipment to 5 million tonnes. The Economic Times reported that the Directorate General of Foreign Trade, or DGFT, formally notified the decision after the government concluded that domestic stocks remain comfortable and that another strong harvest is likely.
The move does not mean a full return to open wheat exports. India’s general wheat export policy remains formally prohibited, a framework that has been in place since 2022. What the new notification does is carve out an additional controlled allowance of 25 lakh metric tonnes, or 2.5 million tonnes, that can be exported under a separate order laying out the detailed modalities.
With this latest decision, the cumulative volume now permitted reaches 5 million tonnes of wheat and 1 million tonnes of wheat products. Earlier in January, India allowed exports of 500,000 tonnes of wheat products. In February, it added another 500,000 tonnes of wheat products and 2.5 million tonnes of wheat. The April decision therefore doubles the earlier wheat allowance and signals greater confidence in the domestic supply position.
The notification also keeps in place an important clause dating back to May 2022. In addition to the newly permitted quantity, exports can still be allowed above the capped amount if the Government of India grants approval to meet the food security needs of other countries in response to official requests from their governments. That means New Delhi is preserving room for state-to-state shipments even while keeping the broader commercial export regime under tight control.
The policy change is backed by a favorable production outlook. According to the agriculture ministry’s second advance estimate, India’s wheat output for the 2025-26 crop year, counted from July to June, is pegged at 120.2 million tonnes. Officials linked the stronger outlook to a rise in wheat acreage during the 2026 rabi season, when planted area increased to 33.41 million hectares from 32.80 million hectares a year earlier.
For the global grain trade, the additional Indian wheat volume provides a fresh source of supply at a time when markets remain sensitive to weather shocks, logistics and government restrictions. For India itself, the decision suggests policymakers believe they can maintain a formal export ban, protect domestic food security and still release extra grain to foreign buyers in measured increments when the stock situation allows.