Edible oil units must register on national portal or face penalties

The food ministry has mandated that all edible oil units register on the national portal and submit monthly stock returns under the amended VOPPA regulations, 2025. The move aims to ensure real-time monitoring of production, imports, and availability, especially as India imports over 57% of its edible oil consumption. During 2023-24, India imported 15.96 million tonnes of crude and refined oils, valued at Rs 1.32 lakh crore.

Edible oil units that fail to register on the national portal will face penal action under the relevant provisions of the Vegetable Oil Products, Production and Availability (VOPPA) regulations, as amended in August 2025, according to a statement by the food ministry on Wednesday.

“Non-compliance with the amended VOPPA order, will be treated as a violation and units failing to register or submit their returns will face penal action,” it stated.

The amendment aims to facilitate real-time monitoring of edible oil availability, production, and imports. The food ministry revised the VOPPA order, 2011 to make registration of edible oil units mandatory and to ensure monthly declaration of their stock.

“The response from the edible oil industry has been encouraging. A significant number of edible oil units across the country have already registered on the national single window system portal and are regularly submitting their monthly returns,” the statement added.

Officials highlighted that registering units and reporting stocks on the national portal will enable accurate data collection, real-time tracking, and more effective policy intervention in the edible oil sector.

Under the amended VOPPA Order, all entities involved in production, processing, blending, or re-packing of edible oils must comply with the new requirements. Any business intending to stock for sale, process vegetable oils, sell oil products, or handle solvent-extracted oils needs to register with the director of the Directorate of Sugar and Vegetable Oils (DSVO).

Authorities emphasized that this measure will give the government a robust understanding of the cooking oil supply scenario, particularly as India imports over 57% of its annual edible oil consumption.

During the 2023-24 oil year (November–October), India imported 15.96 million tonnes (MT) of crude and refined oils—including palm, soybean, and sunflower—worth Rs 1.32 lakh crore. To ensure domestic availability and stabilize prices, the government has been adjusting import duties on edible oils. On May 30, India reduced the effective import duty, including basic customs duty and cess, on these three oils to 16.5% from 27.5% imposed in September of the previous year, a move aimed at curbing price spikes.

India sources its edible oils from countries such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Ukraine, Russia, and Argentina, while domestic production includes oils like mustard, soybean, and groundnut.