India not fully food secure, imports over 50% edible oil: NITI Aayog Vice-chairman

India may not yet have achieved complete food security across all agricultural commodities, particularly given its status as the world’s largest importer of edible oils, NITI Aayog Vice-Chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri stated on Friday.

Speaking at a local event, Lahiri noted that over 50 percent of India's edible oil demand is met through foreign shipments, totaling an estimated 17 million metric tonnes at a cost of roughly USD 20 billion. At the same time, while India leads the world in both producing and consuming pulses, it still accounts for nearly a quarter of global demand—consuming between 25 and 27 million tonnes every year.

"We are talking about Viksit Krishi in Viksit Bharat in 2047. As we move towards Viksit Bharat at 2047, are we secure regarding our food supply across the various products? Perhaps not as yet," he said.


Lahiri remarked that he was surprised to discover that much of the chana (gram) consumed in India is sourced from Australia, masoor dal (lentils) from Australia and Canada, and other varieties of pulses from Myanmar, Africa, and Russia.

"Now you can ask what is wrong with India importing edible oils or oil seeds from Indonesia, Malaysia, Argentina, Brazil, Russia, and Ukraine, and pulses from Australia, Canada, Myanmar, Africa, and Russia.

"The problem is, first, the issue of vulnerability to global supply disruptions or price shocks," he said.

He pointed out that for the overwhelming majority of Indians, dal-chawal or dal-roti forms the core daily diet.

"For our dal-chawal or dal-roti, we require pulses and edible oils. Any disruption of supply of these essential commodities or price shock can assume the gravity of a strategic disaster," he said.

To address this, Lahiri advocated for shifting Indian agriculture away from its heavy reliance on wheat and paddy. Because oilseeds and pulses require significantly less water, promoting their cultivation aligns well with the broader goal of crop diversification. He also underscored the urgent need to curb and eliminate wastage across the Indian agricultural sector.