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NEW DELHI — AWL Agri Business Ltd, one of India's largest food and fast-moving consumer goods companies, has reaffirmed its commitment to sourcing the bulk of its palm oil requirements from Malaysia, while exploring opportunities to expand branded consumer exports to the Malaysian market.
The company's managing director and chief executive officer, Shrikant Kanhere, made the remarks after a one-on-one business meeting with Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Leaders' Summit in New Delhi. The discussion centered on the company's Indian operations and the outlook for bilateral 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,' Kanhere said. He noted that shipments arrive through multiple Indian ports, including Haldia, Mundra, Kandla, Kakinada, and Mangalore, serving the country's east, west, and south coasts.
AWL imports crude palm oil (CPO) for refining at its facilities across India, supplying both retail consumers and food manufacturers. The company also leverages by-products from the palm value chain to support a sizeable oleochemicals business, producing soap noodles, glycerine, and stearines.
When asked about quality concerns with Malaysian-origin shipments, Kanhere confirmed there have been no significant issues with quality or procedures.
India consumes an estimated 25 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. Although India remains a net importer of edible oils and is not focused on re-exports, AWL has begun developing selective branded export channels. Its 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,' Kanhere explained. Current exports to Malaysia include basmati rice and limited quantities of wheat flour, with plans to gradually increase volumes. The company confirmed it has no joint ventures in Malaysia and exports directly.
AWL emphasized 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,' Kanhere said.
Headquartered in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, AWL Agri is one of four companies that held one-on-one business meetings with Anwar during his visit. The Malaysian leader arrived in India on Friday for the BRICS summit, his second visit as Prime Minister, following a trip in August 2024.
Source: Malay Mail / Bernama