The Fate of Indonesian Palm Oil Exports to India After PM Modi Meets Prabowo

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to meet President Prabowo on Monday, 6 July 2026, resulted in 16 Indonesia-India cooperation documents covering the defence, energy, health, culture, technology, and agriculture sectors. One of the points of strengthening trade cooperation between Indonesia and India is the palm oil sector, where India is one of the main export markets for Indonesian Crude Palm Oil (CPO) besides the Chinese market. In the January-May 2026 period, total Indonesian CPO exports to India accounted for an 11.9% share, although the value declined from the previous year. Commodity Expert at CNBC Indonesia Research, Emanuella Bungasmara Ega Tirta, stated that the Indian Prime Minister’s visit is very important for maintaining the sustainability of Indonesian palm oil exports. CPO export competition to India faces rivalry with Malaysia, amidst India’s efforts to curb imports through diversification into other vegetable oils.