India's Pulses Sector
Production, Demand, and Import Dependence
India is the world's largest producer and consumer of pulses, accounting for approximately 25-30% of global production and about 27% of global consumption. Pulses (legumes) include lentils (masoor), chickpeas (chana), pigeon peas (tur/arhar), black gram (urad), green gram (moong), and yellow peas. Despite its scale, India's domestic production consistently falls short of demand, partly because pulses are typically grown on rainfed, marginal lands and face higher yield variability compared to cereals. After peaking at 27.3 million tonnes in 2021-22, annual production has plateaued in the 25-26 million tonne range.
- India's position: World's largest producer and consumer of pulses
- Annual production: ~25-26 million tonnes (recent years); peaked at 27.3 million tonnes (2021-22)
- Planted area: Declined from peak 30.6 million hectares (2021-22) to 26.9 million hectares (2024-25)
- Major import sources: Canada, Australia, Myanmar, Russia, USA (for various varieties)
- Top imported varieties: Yellow peas (Canada/Russia), desi chickpeas (Australia/Canada), pigeon peas (Myanmar/Africa), lentils (Canada)
- Import policy: Government allows liberal imports of tur, urad, moong, lentil, chickpea, yellow pea to manage food inflation
● Tracked since February 24, 2026 · last seen April 22, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes