India, July 21 -- The Indian Vegetable Oil Producers' Association (IVPA) on Monday called on the government to take steps against an "unprecedented surge" in duty-free refined edible oil imports from Nepal under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) framework.

Imports from Nepal jumped more than 17-fold in two years, rising to over 804,000 tonnes in 2025 from 47,295 tonnes in 2023, the industry body said in a statement, adding that volumes were on track to reach 1 million tonnes annually, making Nepal one of India's largest suppliers of refined edible oils.

IVPA said the increase marked a significant structural shift in India's edible oil trade that required policy attention to keep trade, tariff and domestic value-addition goals alig...