India's vegetable oil imports rose to 16.36 million tonnes in 2024-25, with palm oil falling to a five-year low due to high prices.

India's vegetable oil imports rose slightly to 16.36 million tonnes in 2024-25, but palm oil imports fell to a five-year low of 7.58 million tonnes due to a sustained price premium over soybean oil, which surged to a record 5.47 million tonnes. Palm oil’s share dropped to 47% from 56%, while soybean and sunflower oils made up 53% of imports. The import bill hit a record 1.61 trillion rupees ($18.3 billion), up 23% from the previous year. Refined oil imports from Nepal rose to 746,400 tonnes under a zero-duty trade agreement. October imports fell 20% to 1.33 million tonnes as refiners cut purchases after festive-season buying.