Indians' Love For Fried Food Triples Oil Imports In 25 Yrs

Per-person oil consumption is nearly double the limit of 12 kg a year set by ICMR

- Vijay C. Roy

India's growing appetite for fried and processed foods has tripled the country's per capita consumption of edible oil since 2001, leading to a heavy reliance on imports and increased concerns about obesity, heart disease, and diabetes.

From just 8.2 kg per person in 2001, the average Indian now consumes 23.5 kg of edible oil annually, according to Niti Aayog member Ramesh Chand. This exceeds the Indian Council for Medical Research's (ICMR) limit of 12 kg.

Chand said that under the national mission on edible oils, the government is working on enhancing domestic production. "This has two components. One is about palm oil, which yields higher output than crops like soybean and mustard. The second component is about other oilseed crops in general. We are working on both," he said.

Data from the Solvent Extractors Association of India (SEA) showed that the current edible oil consumption in the country is 25-26 million tonnes, and domestic production is 11 million tonnes. The remaining 60 per cent comes from imports. The country imports edible palm oil from countries such as Indonesia and Malaysia, soybean oil from Argentina and Brazil, and sunflower oil from Russia and Ukraine.