AWL Eyes Steady Palm Oil Imports From Malaysia, Explores Branded Exports Growth
From Saraswathi Muniappan
NEW DELHI, Sept 12 (Bernama) -- AWL Agri Business Ltd, one of India's largest food and fast-moving consumer goods companies, said it will continue to source the bulk of its palm oil requirements from Malaysia and is exploring opportunities to expand branded consumer exports to the Malaysian market.
The company is also India’s largest importer of palm oil.
Speaking to Bernama after an one-on-one business meeting with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim here, its managing director and chief executive officer Shrikant Kanhere said the discussion was focused on the company’s operations in India and the outlook for palm oil trade.
“We import close to 1.5 million tonnes of palm oil annually, and about 70 per cent of that comes from Malaysia,” he said, adding that imports arrive through ports on India’s east, west and south coasts, including Haldia, Mundra, Kandla, Kakinada and Mangalore.
AWL imports crude palm oil (CPO) for refining at its facilities across India, supplying both consumers and food manufacturers.
The company also leverages by-products from the palm value chain to support its sizeable oleochemicals business, producing soap noodles, glycerine and stearines.
Asked if there was any issue with the quality of CPO imported by the company, Shrikant said there have been no significant issues with quality or procedures for Malaysian-origin shipments.
India consumes an estimated 25 million to 26 million tonnes of edible oils annually, with palm oil remaining a key component of the basket alongside soft oils such as soybean and sunflower.
While India is a net importer of edible oils and not focused on re-exports, AWL has begun developing selective branded export channels.
The company’s flagship Fortune brand underpins small but growing shipments of consumer-packed goods to Malaysia and other markets.
“Exports are primarily branded and remain modest, as India’s domestic demand absorbs most of our production,” he said.
Current exports to Malaysia include basmati rice and limited quantities of wheat flour, with plans to gradually increase volumes.
The company confirmed it does not have joint ventures in Malaysia at present and exports directly.
AWL emphasised that the recent meeting with the Prime Minister was not primarily to seek export expansion approvals but to brief Malaysia on AWL’s footprint and the long-term prospects of India’s edible oil market.
“As one of Malaysia’s largest palm oil customers, we wanted to share our outlook and reinforce the partnership,” Shrikant said.
AWL Agri, which is headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, a state located on the western coast of India, is one of the four companies that had a one-on-one business meeting with Anwar today.
Anwar arrived here Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit. This is his second visit to India as Prime Minister, with the first being in August 2024.
-- BERNAMA