India’s palm oil imports are projected to increase by nearly 20% in the new marketing year, buoyed by competitive pricing that is encouraging the tropical oil to regain its market share, according to Sanjeev Asthana, president of the Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA).
This rise in purchases by the world’s largest palm oil buyer is expected to reduce stock levels in major producing countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, and provide support to benchmark Malaysian palm oil futures.
In an interview with Reuters, Asthana noted, “Palm oil prices have become competitive relative to other oils after the recent decline, and that will drive import demand.” He specified that India’s palm oil imports in the 2025/26 marketing year, which commenced on November 1, could reach 9.3 million metric tons, up from 7.58 million tons last year, marking the lowest imports in five years.
During the preceding marketing year, palm oil imports decreased by 15.9% as it traded at a premium compared to soyoil for much of that period. Currently, palm oil is priced at a discount of about $100 per tonne to soyoil and more than $200 to sunflower oil, which is prompting refiners to secure shipments for the upcoming months.
Soyoil imports for the new season are expected to slightly surpass last year’s record of 5.47 million tons, while sunflower oil purchases are projected to decline from 2.9 million tons to between 2 million and 2.5 million tons due to crop damage in the Black Sea region, as Asthana indicated.
Overall, India’s total edible oil imports in the upcoming season are anticipated to rise to a record 16.5 million to 17 million tons, reflecting increasing domestic consumption, compared to 16 million tons last year.
On Wednesday, the SEA signed a memorandum of understanding with the Federation of Oils, Seeds and Fats Associations to enhance knowledge exchange between the two organizations and to help mitigate trade disputes during imports, Asthana added.
Published on November 20, 2025.
