India plans to import wheat and pulses from Russia in 2024, hoping for a reliable supplier.

At the All-Russian Grain Forum, the chairman of the Indian Pulses and Grains Association (IPGA), Bimal Kothari, announced that India plans to import 3-5 million tons of wheat in 2024. He expressed hope that Russia will become a reliable supplier, with payments to be made in rupees.

India's annual wheat consumption is around 95-100 million tons, but the stocks in state granaries have significantly reduced. Despite the introduction of heat-resistant wheat varieties and increased yield, India still needs to import this crop.

In addition to wheat, India also plans to increase imports of yellow peas and chickpeas from Russia. It is expected that 3-3.5 million tons of yellow peas will be imported in 2024. Russia will be the main supplier. Since the introduction of zero duty on yellow pea imports from Russia in April this year, India has already imported 570 thousand tons. It is also proposed to sign a memorandum between India and Russia to facilitate the import of yellow peas.

According to Kothari, chickpeas grown in Russia could replace the "desi" chickpeas in India, the production of which decreased last year. Russia could become a potential supplier of chickpeas. Additionally, India plans to import over 4 million tons of pulses in 2024.

However, the Indian Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, stated that India currently does not plan to open its market for the import of Russian grain and is focused on exporting its own wheat.