India Imports

Govt lists banks allowed to import gold, silver after delay disrupts flows

Authorised by the RBI, the order permits 15 banks, including the State Bank of India, HDFC Bank, and Bank of India, to import both gold and silver from April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2029

Oil PSUs ramped up Russian oil purchases 148% in March amid supply shock

India's state-run refiners sharply increased Russian crude purchases in March amid supply disruptions, aided by a US waiver, even as overall crude imports declined

NAAS recommends steps to reduce import dependence in horticulture

NAAS has proposed steps to reduce India's rising dependence on imported fruits and spices and boost exports through improved crop varieties, stronger traceability and better market linkages

Edible oil imports in March grows 12% to 1.173 million tonne: SEA

India's edible oils imports rose 12 per cent annually to 11.73 lakh tonne in March on higher shipments of crude palm oil, and the imports may be subdued in coming months due to firm global prices and high freight cost amid the West Asia conflict, according to industry body SEA. In a statement on Monday, the Solvent Extractors' Association of India (SEA) said imports of edible oils increased to 11,73,168 tonne in March from 10,45,281 tonne in the year-ago period. As per the SEA data, imports of crude palm oil surged to 6,73,965 tonne last month from 3,43,949 tonne in March 2025. Non-edible oil imports fell to 13,401 tonne from 27,742 tonne. Imports of vegetable oils (including both edible and non-edible) increased 11 per cent to 11,86,569 tonne last month from 10,73,023 tonne in March 2025. India imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia while soyabean oil is sourced from Argentina and Brazil. The country meets more than half of its domestic demand through imports. During the f

West Asia crisis: Govt to set up weekly system to track EXIM trends

The commerce ministry on Friday said it will set up a weekly monitoring mechanism to track export-import trends and sectoral stress indicators amid concerns that supply chain disruptions, logistics constraints, and rising input costs due to geopolitical tensions could impact industries. The concerns and challenges of the exporting community with regard to the rising cost of packaging material and disruptions in the ship movement in international waters, particularly to the West Asia region, were discussed in two separate meetings on March 9 here. The meeting, chaired by Commerce Secretary Rajesh Agrawal, focused on challenges arising from disruptions in packaging materials and associated inputs. It was observed that the ongoing geopolitical developments can impact the availability and pricing of key petrochemical inputs, such as polymers and resins, leading to increased costs for packaging materials across sectors. Industry participants highlighted the increase in prices of critica

Chatroom: 'Absolute Confiscation' need not lead only to destruction'

Absolute confiscation vests goods with govt but disposal may include auction, sale or destruction; overvaluation attracts penalties under customs act, while GST export lapses trigger tax liability

Govt relaxes rules for some state firms to procure key equipment from China

Under the relaxation of the rules, India's largest state-run power equipment maker Bharat Heavy Electricals can procure 21 types of critical equipment from China, the government order said

DGTR initiates probe against imports of Chinese, Indonesian paperboards

India has initiated a probe against imports of subsidised Chinese and Indonesian paperboards as it is allegedly impacting domestic players, according to a notification. The commerce ministry's investigation arm Directorate General of Trade Remedies (DGTR) has started the exercise following a complaint filed by Indian Paper Manufacturers' Association on behalf of the domestic industry. The applicant has alleged that exports of multi-layer paperboards by Chinese and Indonesian firms, which is subsidised by the respective countries, are hurting margins of Indian companies. They have requested for initiation of an anti-subsidy or countervailing investigation on imports of boards originating in or exported from these two countries. The applicant has alleged that the producers/exporters in these two nations have benefited from the subsidies provided at various levels by their respective governments in the form of grants, loans, guarantees, taxes, export credits, goods and services, or ..

Explained: Why India's energy security goal is an unfinished journey

Despite policy push and diversification, India's rising oil and gas import dependence is exposed by the Strait of Hormuz crisis, underscoring gaps in domestic production and energy transition

Trade deficit widens to $27.1 billion in February as imports surge

Imports grew 24% in February to $63.71 billion, due to gold and silver imports, according to data released by the commerce department on Monday

India's urea imports from China hit 3-year high, Russia supplies also surge

India imported 21.24 lakh tonne of urea from China between April 2025 and February 2026, the highest in three years, even as total fertiliser imports from China and Russia rose sharply this fiscal year, as per the government data placed before Parliament on Friday. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Fertilisers Anupriya Patel said that India had sourced fertilisers from both countries, with Chinese urea imports dramatically outpacing the 0.99 lakh tonne recorded in the full fiscal year 2024-25 and also exceeding 18.65 lakh tonne in 2023-24 and 12.80 lakh tonne in 2022-23. Beyond urea, India imported 5.11 lakh tonne of Di Ammonium Phosphate (DAP), 0.28 lakh tonne of Muriate of Potash (MoP) and 9.61 lakh tonne of NPK fertiliser from China between April 2025 and February 2026, bringing total phosphatic and potassic imports to 15 lakh tonne. Urea imports from Moscow stood at 13.99 lakh tonne till February, already higher than the 9.23 lakh tonne imported in ...

Edible oil rates rose by ₹1-4 per kg in the last week amid West Asia crisis

Retail edible oil prices begin to rise as global palm and soybean oil rates climb alongside crude oil amid the West Asia crisis

Energy imports are in full flow from all non-Hormuz routes: Hardeep Puri

Addressing concerns over supply chain vulnerabilities, the government has successfully reduced its reliance on the volatile Strait of Hormuz by diversifying its import routes

Datanomics: How the West Asia conflict risks inflating India's oil bill

A major proportion of India's crude oil imports flows through the Strait of Hormuz, which remains an important trade point in the Gulf

West Asia conflict: From oil to remittances, how exposed India is to crisis

Iran-Israel conflict: Rising tensions in West Asia put India's oil supplies, trade routes and millions of workers in Gulf nations at risk, raising concerns over remittance flows and safety

EMI scheme for deferred customs duty payment to be implemented from April 1

The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs on Sunday said the Eligible Manufacturer Importers scheme will be implemented from April 1, and such importers can clear imported goods without paying customs duty at the time of clearance. The deferred payment facility will be available to Eligible Manufacturer Importers (EMIs) meeting prescribed criteria related to Customs and GST compliance, turnover, financial standing and past track record, a finance ministry statement said. "This reform is expected to significantly improve ease of doing business, strengthen the compliance culture, promote wider participation in the AEO programme and provide a boost to domestic manufacturing," the ministry said. Existing AEO-T1 entities, including MSMEs, that fulfil the eligibility conditions are also eligible to participate in the scheme. "The facility will be available from 1st April, 2026, and will remain in force till 31st March, 2028," it added. Under this initiative, EMIs would be able to

Gold, silver rally drove January import bill up 19%; exports increased 0.6%

Trade deficit widest in three months

Govt planning new Rail Tech policy to cut dependence on foreign suppliers

Under the plan, the Railway board is expected to offer partial funding, technical help, and access to testing centres

Datanomics: Gulf bloc's share in India's imports up, exports down

India, GCC begin FTA talks as import dependence deepens, export mix shifts toward electronics and away from energy over the past decade

Datanomics: $500 billion imports in five years need 3.75x increase

Despite tariff cuts, india's plan to import $500 billion of us goods in five years far outpaces historical trade flows