New Delhi: The Center has allowed limited exports of wheat flour and related products under a tightly regulated licensing mechanism, even as a broader ban on exports of these items continues.
Under the amended policy, export of wheat or semolina flour – including atta, maida, semolina (rava/suji), whole grain atta and resulting atta – up to a cumulative quantity of 5 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) will be permitted under export permits issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT), subject to conditions and procedures notified separately. However, they will continue to remain in the “forbidden” category.
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The relaxation was announced by the DGFT on Friday through a change in the export policy, followed by a detailed public notification setting out the eligibility, mode of application and allotment.
Mint On May 2, 2025, it announced that the Center would consider resuming exports of maida, semolina and wheat flour (atta) as the country is estimated to record a record wheat production of over 115.3 million tonnes this year.
Beyond the terms
The DGFT has clarified that the permitted exports will be over and above the existing policy conditions and will be closely monitored.
According to the DGFT order, applications for export permits will be accepted online through its portal, with the first application window opening from January 21 to January 31, 2026. Thereafter, applications will be invited during the last 10 days of each month until the quantity allowed for export is exhausted.
Each export permit will be valid for six months from the date of issue, with extensions considered on a case-by-case basis by a special committee.
Eligible applicants include flour mills and processing units with valid Import Export Code (IEC) and FSSAI licences, commercial exporters with bonded or supply agreements with supporting producers and EOUs, SEZ units and advance permit holders who wish to allocate beyond their entitlements for imported wheat.
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Exporters will be required to submit detailed documentation, including production capacity, past export performance, confirmed export orders, shipment schedules and a self-declaration confirming that domestic wheat was sourced without diversion from the public distribution system.
The DGFT has set a minimum threshold for applications, stating that applications of less than 2,500 tonnes will not be considered. The authorizations will be non-transferable and must be used only by the IEC holder to whom they are issued. In the event of an incorrect declaration, exporters will be barred from allocation for the next three years.
The export quota allocation will be decided by the Special Export Facilitation Committee (EFC), which will meet at least once a month to examine applications, he said, adding that the committee will consider factors such as the applicant’s export record, processing capacity and the existence of valid contracts. It will also have the power to reallocate quantities from underperforming exporters to others based on periodic reviews.
Restricted after rejection
The government restricted exports of maida, suji and whole grain atta in August 2022 following a decline in wheat production. These products have a strong consumer base in countries with a large Indian diaspora, including the US, UK, Gulf countries, and parts of Africa and Southeast Asia.
“We are very optimistic about the lifting of the ban as it would help us regain market share. Indian atta and other wheat products have built a strong brand among the Indian diaspora. Even as discussions have been going on to lift the ban, millers have already been receiving increasing inquiries for wheat-based products, reflecting the renewed demand and confidence in the market,” said Navneet, president of MillerFI Federation of India, MillerFI.
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The public notice further clarifies that exports made in India using domestic wheat under the new quantitative window will be counted against the 5 LMT limit. However, EOU or Advance Authorization exports using only imported wheat and governed by earlier notifications are not included in this limit.
Exporters who receive permits will be required to submit landing certificates within 30 days of completion of shipments, otherwise future allocations may be affected. Any additional documentation required by the Special EFC will need to be provided within the specified timeframes.
According to the final crop production estimates for 2024-25 released in November 2025, wheat production reached a record 1 17.95 million tonnes, up 4.65 million tonnes from 113.29 million tonnes in the previous year.
Rice production also hit an all-time high of 150.18 million tonnes, up 12.36 million tonnes from last year’s 137.83 million tonnes.
