New Delhi- India’s pulse imports declined by 31.52 per cent in 2025-26 as domestic production increased under the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses, according to an official factsheet released on Sunday.
The country’s total pulse production rose to 274.09 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, up from 256.83 lakh tonnes in 2024-25. The increase was accompanied by a significant reduction in import expenditure, which fell from Rs 46,427.60 crore to Rs 31,793.59 crore during the period.
India’s pulse exports also recorded strong growth, rising 13.4 per cent from $855 million in 2024-25 to $969.53 million in 2025-26. The total export volume reached 10.01 lakh tonnes, with China, the United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, the United States and Sri Lanka among the major destinations.
The improvement in domestic output came alongside an expansion in the area under pulse cultivation. The cultivated area increased from 277.20 lakh hectares in 2024-25 to 286.46 lakh hectares in 2025-26, following measures introduced under the mission announced on October 11 last year.
National productivity also improved, with average pulse yield rising from 926 kg per hectare in 2024-25 to 957 kg per hectare in 2025-26.
Launched with an outlay of Rs 11,440 crore, the Mission for Aatmanirbharta in Pulses aims to raise domestic production to nearly 350 lakh tonnes and increase average yield to 1,130 kg per hectare by 2030-31.
The programme prioritises higher production of tur, urad and masoor, alongside the promotion of climate-resilient varieties and improvements in seed quality. Over six years, it envisages the distribution of 87.5 lakh free seed kits and 126 lakh quintals of certified seeds.
To intensify cultivation, the mission is being implemented through a cluster-based approach covering 489 districts. It also provides for assured procurement at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) of tur, urad and masoor through the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED), for willing and registered farmers.
Major pulse-producing states include Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal.
India is the world’s largest producer of pulses, which contain around 20-25 per cent protein—more than twice the amount found in wheat and nearly three times that in rice. Pulses are an important source of dietary protein and contribute to both nutritional security and agricultural exports.
The latest figures indicate progress towards reducing dependence on imported pulses, although the mission’s longer-term targets will depend on sustained gains in cultivation, productivity and domestic supply.
–IANS