Representational file image.
| Photo Credit: G.P. Sampath Kumar

India has extended duty-free imports of Urad for another year until March 31, 2026, according to a government notification.

The provision was earlier in place until the end of March this year.

Myanmar is the main exporting country of Urad to India.

“The free import policy of Urad stands extended up to March 31, 2026,” the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) has said in a notification.

The move would help in stabilising prices of the commodity in the domestic markets.

The imports stood at $601.12 million during April-November this fiscal. Out of this value, $549 million worth of the grain was imported from Myanmar.

The imports stood at $663.21 million in 2023-24 ($646.6 million from Myanmar). Besides Myanmar, India imports Urad from Singapore, Thailand, and Brazil.

The bilateral trade between India and Myanmar was $1.74 billion in the last fiscal. It was $1.76 billion in 2022-23. The trade gap is in favour of Myanmar.

The major Urad producing States are Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra.

India is the world’s largest producer and consumer of urad.