India meets only 44 percent of its domestic demand for edible oil and spends more than $20 billion a year on imports, a bill that is bound to increase with the war in West Asia disrupting global supply chains and India’s foreign currency reserves under strain.
Already, IndiaSpend’s Food Price Watch has recorded significant year-on-year price increases across different edible oils. Based on the prices of packed oil on May 30, 2026, groundnut oil was up 7 percent from 2025, mustard oil 12 percent, palm oil 9 percent, soya oil 9 percent, sunflower oil 15 percent and vanaspati 4 percent.
