Wheat Exporters in India
For Bulk Milling and Durum Wheat Supply contact Newton Exports:
If you are looking for wheat exporters in India right now, you are not alone. Since late August, our inbox has been full of wheat enquiries from Bangladesh, East Africa, the Gulf and South-East Asia. Some want a single rail rake. Others want 100,000 MT spread over three months. Almost all of them ask the same questions, so we decided to answer them properly in one place.
As wheat exporters in India. this is a practical guide from our desk at Newton Exports. It covers where Indian wheat export policy stands today, what kind of wheat you can actually buy, how it moves by sea and by rail, and what you need to send us to get a firm offer. If you are importing into Bangladesh, our earlier post on rice and wheat imports from India to Bangladesh covers the border side in more detail.
India Wheat Export Ban Lifted: Where Things Stand
Let’s start with the question we get asked most: is India exporting wheat again? Yes.
India stopped wheat exports in May 2022 after a heatwave hit the crop. For four years, Indian wheat was effectively off the table. Then 2026 brought a record harvest of over 120 million tonnes and comfortable government stocks. The government first allowed a limited quota of 2.5 million tonnes, then approved another 2.5 million tonnes in April. In May, the first bulk vessel in four years loaded at Kandla for the UAE.
The big change came on 24 August 2026. DGFT Notification No. 35/2026-27 moved wheat from “Prohibited” to “Free” with immediate effect. Atta, maida and suji were freed at the same time. Today there is no quota and no allocation needed. A registered exporter can contract and ship.
One honest word of caution. Indian wheat policy has changed quickly before, and it can change again if domestic prices jump.
As wheat exporters in India, we watch DGFT notifications closely and we write this risk into our contracts so our buyers are never caught off guard.
Which Countries Import Wheat from India?
Indian wheat makes the most sense where transit is short. Before 2022, India supplied close to 70% of Bangladesh’s wheat. Nepal, Sri Lanka and Bhutan have always bought Indian grain. In the Gulf, the UAE, Oman, Qatar and Yemen are regular buyers. Further away, Indonesia, Vietnam, the Philippines and South Korea took large volumes in 2021 and 2022, as did East African markets like Kenya, Tanzania, Somalia, Djibouti and Mozambique.
The current pull is strongest from Bangladesh. With Black Sea supply disrupted, Bangladeshi importers have booked over 200,000 MT of Indian wheat since the market reopened, most of it by rail. As wheat exporters in India, we are seeing similar interest from African flour mills that need wheat within 30 to 45 days and cannot wait for long-haul cargoes.
Types of Wheat Available from India
Indian Milling Wheat
More than 90% of India’s crop is bread wheat (Triticum aestivum). This is what most of our buyers want: a hard, amber-white grain with medium protein that mills well into atta, all-purpose flour and bakery flour. It comes mainly from Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar and Gujarat.
You will hear variety names like HD 2967, HD 3086, PBW 343, DBW 187, GW 322 and Lok-1. For most bulk contracts, the variety matters less than the spec. Where it does matter is premium wheat. MP Sharbati, for example, has a loyal following among flour mills that sell to the higher end of their market, and it is priced accordingly.
Indian Durum Wheat
Durum is a smaller but interesting story. In India it is called “Kathia gehu” or “Malwi wheat”, and most of it grows in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, with more in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka. Indian research institutes have released strong varieties like HI 8498 (Malav Shakti), HI 8759 (Pusa Tejas), HI 8737 and MPO 1215.
Indian durum has hard, vitreous kernels, good gluten strength and a nice golden colour. If you run a semolina, pasta or couscous plant, it is worth a look. Our advice: book durum early. Volumes are a fraction of milling wheat, and the best lots go quickly after harvest.
Wheat Products
We also supply atta, maida, suji (semolina) and wheat bran in bags. Some of our buyers take grain and flour together in one programme, which helps with planning on both sides.
Indian Milling Wheat Specifications
Bulk contracts are written against a specification, and quality is checked at the load port. The milling wheat column below follows the export benchmarks used by India’s state trading agencies. The durum column shows typical values. We finalise the exact specs with each buyer.
Parameter | Milling Wheat (typical) | Durum Wheat (typical) |
|---|---|---|
Protein (wet basis) | 11.5% min | 12.0% min |
Moisture | 12.0% max | 12.0% max |
Test weight | 77 kg/hl min | 78 kg/hl min |
Wet gluten | 26% min | As per contract |
Falling number | 300 to 400 sec min | 300 sec min |
Foreign matter / other grains | 2.75% max (0.75% FM + 2.00% OFG) | 2.0% max |
Shrivelled / broken grains | 6.0% max | 5.0% max |
Damaged / weevilled grains | 3.0% max (2.0% DG + 1.0% WG) | 3.0% max |
Vitreous kernels | Not specified | 80% min (contract specific) |
Live insects | Nil | Nil |
Every cargo is fumigated and travels with an Indian phytosanitary certificate. An independent surveyor such as SGS, Bureau Veritas or Cotecna certifies quality and weight at loading. A tip from experience: name the surveyor in the contract up front. Arguing about it a week before loading wastes time nobody has.
Bulk Wheat Shipment from India by Sea
Most bulk wheat is sent from Gujarat. Kandla (Deendayal Port) is India’s main wheat port, with grain berths and storage close to the wheat belts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Mundra, a few hours away, takes larger Supramax and Panamax vessels comfortably. For buyers in East and South-East Asia, Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Chennai can work better. Container shipments usually go through Nhava Sheva or Mundra.
On vessel size, Handysize ships of 25,000 to 35,000 MT suit monthly lots into smaller African and Gulf ports. Supramax (50,000 to 58,000 MT) and Panamax (60,000 to 75,000 MT) suit government tenders and big mill programmes. If you are testing Indian wheat for the first time, a few containers of bagged wheat (about 25 to 26 MT per 20′ box) is a sensible way to start.
As wheat exporters in India, we get asked should we buy loose or bagged? If your discharge port has grain suckers and silos, loose bulk is cheaper. Many African ports don’t, and in that case 50 kg PP bags save a lot of pain at discharge. The extra cost of bags is usually smaller than the cost of slow, messy unloading.
For Bangladesh and Myanmar, we also load smaller vessels of 5,000 to 12,500 MT from Kolkata, Haldia, Paradip, Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. The voyage is only two to four days, and these ships can berth directly at Chattogram or Mongla, or go upriver to Narayanganj, so buyers avoid lighterage costs at the outer anchorage.
For Bulk Milling and Durum Wheat Supply contact Newton Exports:
Planning Wheat Shipments from India by Weight and Volume
Wheat takes up roughly 1.3 CBM per MT in bulk and about 1.4 CBM per MT in bags. Here is a quick planning table:
Lot size | Weight (MT) | Volume, loose (CBM approx.) | Volume, bagged (CBM approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
1 x 20′ container | 25 | Not applicable | ~35 |
1 rail rake (42 wagons) | 2,600 | ~3,400 | ~3,650 |
Handysize parcel | 30,000 | ~39,000 | ~42,000 |
Large parcel | 40,000 | ~52,000 | ~56,000 |
Quarterly programme | 100,000 | ~130,000 | ~140,000 |
A typical programme we are working on right now looks like this: 30,000 MT in October, 30,000 MT in November and 40,000 MT in December, all FOB Kandla or Mundra. Each month is priced separately, and later months cost a little more because the grain has to be held and financed until the next harvest. As wheat exporters in India, we need this clarity to be able to execute large orders.
Wheat Export to Bangladesh by Rail
For Bangladesh, we usually recommend rail over sea. It is faster, it avoids port costs on both sides, and the wheat can go straight from a loading station in UP, Bihar or MP to the border.
The main border rail points are Petrapole to Benapole, Gede to Darshana, Singhabad to Rohanpur, Radhikapur to Birol and Haldibari to Chilahati. A standard rake has 42 covered BCN wagons and carries about 2,400 to 2,650 MT of wheat, normally in 50 kg PP bags. That works out to roughly 3,400 CBM if it were loose.
Rail deals are priced differently from sea. Instead of FOB, you will see FOR or DAP at the Indian border station, or delivered to your siding in Bangladesh. You will need your import permit, our phytosanitary certificate and certificate of origin, and an LC that names the border point as the place of delivery.
The biggest bottleneck right now is not price or supply. It is the route restrictions that Indian Railways places on rakes heading to Bangladesh border stations. When a border point gets congested, the railways restrict or suspend new rake movements on that route, sometimes for days and sometimes for weeks. A rake that is ready to load can sit waiting for a route to open, and rakes already moving can be held short of the border, with demurrage adding up fast. We check route status before committing to a loading date, spread rakes across different border points where we can, and build realistic delivery windows into every rail contract. If you are planning several rakes, talk to us early so we can plan around the restrictions instead of getting stuck behind them.
Indian Wheat Export Prices: What Drives Your Quote
We don’t publish a price list for wheat, and we would be wary of anyone who does. Indian wheat prices move every week. We quote each enquiry on the day it comes in, based on a handful of things.
The floor is set by India’s Minimum Support Price and mandi prices. On top of that, the month of shipment matters, since prices usually step up from harvest in April until the next crop. Packing (loose or bagged), the delivery term (FOB, CFR or border-delivered), the total quantity and how it is spread, and the spec you need all move the number. Global benchmarks from the Black Sea, Australia and Argentina, along with ocean freight, decide how competitive Indian wheat looks against the alternatives.
Our honest view: for Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the Gulf and East Africa, Indian wheat often wins on delivered cost because the freight is short. For buyers much further away, it depends on the week.
Payment Terms and Contract Security
For bulk wheat, an irrevocable confirmed LC from a first-class bank is the standard, and it is what we work with. Depending on your bank and country, a confirmed or transferable LC may be needed. Quality, weight and disputes normally follow GAFTA terms.
Before we can give a firm offer, we need an LOI or a proper request with your company details, quantity, spec, destination and shipment schedule. We know this can feel like paperwork, but it is what separates a real deal from the long broker chains that slow everyone down in this trade.
Export Documents for Indian Wheat
Each shipment comes with:
- Commercial invoice and packing list
- Bill of lading (sea) or railway receipt (rail)
- Phytosanitary certificate
- Fumigation certificate
- Certificate of origin
- Quality and weight certificate from the named surveyor
- Non-GMO declaration (India does not grow GM wheat), plus anything else your country requires
How to Get a Quote for Bulk Wheat from India
The fastest way to get a firm offer is to send everything in one message. Tell us the product (milling wheat, durum or a specific variety), the quantity and monthly schedule, your spec, loose or bagged, the delivery term and destination, your payment terms and issuing bank, and your company details. With that, we can usually come back the same day.
If you don’t have all this information, we may not be able to give a quote.
Why Buyers Work with Newton Exports
We buy directly from India’s large wheat originators and processors, not through layers of brokers. That means our offers are firm and the volumes behind them are real. We handle both sea and rail, from bulk vessels out of Kandla and Mundra to full rakes into Bangladesh. We are comfortable structuring multi-month programmes with a fixed price for each month, and we make sure every cargo is inspected, fumigated and documented before it moves.
And if you also need rice, pulses or wheat flour, you can get all of it from one Indian partner.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the price of wheat for export from India?
There is no one price, we can’t give it just like that.
The fastest way to get a firm offer is to send everything in one message. Tell us:
- the product (milling wheat, durum or a specific variety)
- the quantity and monthly schedule
- your specificaitons
- loose or bagged
- the delivery term and destination
- your payment terms and issuing banka
- your company details.
With that, we can usually come back the same day.
If you don’t have all this information, we may not be able to give a quote.
Is India exporting wheat now?
Is India exporting wheat now?
Yes. Since 24 August 2026, wheat has been in the “Free” export category under DGFT Notification No. 35/2026-27. No quota or export permit is needed at present but this can change in the future.
What is durum wheat called in India?
What is durum wheat called in India?
It is known as “Kathia gehu” or “Malwi wheat”. Most of it grows in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh, with more in Rajasthan and Gujarat.
What is the minimum order for Indian wheat?
What is the minimum order for Indian wheat?
Containers start at about 25 MT. Rail orders to Bangladesh are usually one full rake of around 2,600 MT. Bulk vessels start at about 25,000 MT.
Which ports export wheat from India?
Which ports export wheat from India?
Kandla (Deendayal) and Mundra in Gujarat handle most bulk wheat. Kakinada, Visakhapatnam and Chennai serve eastern routes, and Nhava Sheva handles containers. Bangladesh buyers taking 5,000 to 12,500 MT parcels are usually served from Kolkata, Haldia or Visakhapatnam.
Can Indian wheat be shipped in bags?
Can Indian wheat be shipped in bags?
Yes. It can go loose in bulk or in 50 kg PP bags. Bags suit ports without bulk discharge equipment and most rail shipments to Bangladesh.
How long does wheat take to reach Bangladesh by rail?
How long does wheat take to reach Bangladesh by rail?
Usually one to two weeks from loading, depending on where the rake starts and how busy the border is.
Talk to Us About Your Wheat Requirement
If you are looking for dependable wheat exporters in India for your next vessel or rail programme, send us your requirement and we will come back with a competitive FOB, CFR or border-delivered offer.
Do remember: Before we can give a firm offer, we need an LOI or a proper request with your company details, quantity, spec, destination and shipment schedule.
For Bulk Milling and Durum Wheat Supply contact Newton Exports:
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