India's Wheat Export Policy
From Ban to Relaxation
India imposed a blanket ban on wheat exports on May 13, 2022, through a Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) notification under the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992. The ban was triggered by a severe heatwave that reduced the 2021-22 rabi crop from an expected 111 million tonnes to approximately 99 million tonnes, coinciding with the Russia-Ukraine war-driven global wheat price surge. The ban represented a policy reversal -- just two days earlier, the government had announced plans to export 10 million tonnes.
- Wheat export ban: May 13, 2022 (DGFT Notification No. 6/2015-2020, amended)
- Legal basis: Section 3 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992
- India is the world's 2nd largest wheat producer (approximately 114 million tonnes, 2024-25 estimate) after China
- FCI buffer norms: April 1 wheat stocks should be at least 74.6 LMT (operational + strategic reserves)
- Export ban exemptions (2022): pre-contracted shipments with irrevocable LCs; government-to-government aid
- Wheat flour (atta) exports also restricted in August 2022; wheat product restrictions now being eased
● Tracked since February 14, 2026 · last seen April 28, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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