India’s mung bean exports/ From domestic staple to an emerging global contender. India has long been a domestic powerhouse in mung beans. But sustained production growth and improving export readiness are gradually reshaping its trade profile. Here’s an in-depth examination of the data, surplus dynamics, and market signals behind this transition.

• Production has expanded from just over 2.1 million tons in 2017 to approximately 3.8 million tons in 2025, widening the gap between output and domestic consumption.
• Although theoretical surplus exceeds 1 million tons, realistically exportable volumes are currently estimated at 300,000–500,000 tons annually.
• Exports between January and October jumped from 15,000 tons in 2024 to 75,000 tons in 2025, with China accounting for roughly 60% of shipments.

For decades, India’s mung bean sector has been defined primarily by domestic demand. Mung beans are deeply embedded in Indian diets, used extensively in dals, snacks, and health foods across the country. However, recent production trends, alongside steadily expanding participation in international trade, suggest that India is beginning to transition from a largely inward-focused producer to a meaningful participant in the global mung bean trade.

Production data over the past decade illustrates a clear structural shift. India’s mung bean output has expanded steadily, rising from just over 2.1 million tons in 2017 to approximately 3.8 million tons in 2025. While domestic consumption has also grown during this period, it has remained relatively stable within a band of roughly 2.5–2.8 million tons annually. This widening gap between production and consumption has created additional flexibility for exporters and opened space for mung beans to become a more prominent component of India’s export portfolio.

According to Sanndip Goyal, CEO of V Ganesh Agro Foods Pvt. Ltd., India’s final mung bean production for 2025 is confirmed at approximately 3.8 million metric tons, a figure aligned with official government estimates and discussed at the GPC Shanghai Conference. He notes that while some trade estimates place production closer to 3.0 million tons, states such as Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan together account for nearly 2 million tons, with the balance spread across the rest of the country.

Production growth and structural improvements

The growth in output has not been accidental. Between 2023 and 2025, India’s mung bean production increased from around 3.1 million tons to 3.8 million tons. Goyal attributes this rise to a combination of improved agricultural practices, better utilization of water reserves, and the expansion of summer crop sowing, particularly in Madhya Pradesh. The adoption of short-duration varieties has also played a role, allowing farmers to add mung beans into existing crop cycles more efficiently.

Weather conditions in 2025 were mixed, with abrupt rainfall affecting color, quality, and yields in certain regions such as Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Despite these challenges, the overall crop size remained strong. Looking ahead, Goyal projects that India’s 2026 mung bean production could range between 3.5 and 4.2 million tons, assuming normal monsoon conditions and continued adoption of improved farming practices.

Exportable surplus: from theory to reality

While India’s theoretical surplus in 2025 stands at roughly 1.1 million tons, the exportable surplus is considerably smaller once domestic price mechanisms, quality standards, and logistical constraints are taken into account. Goyal estimates that the realistically exportable volume currently lies in the range of 300,000 to 500,000 tons annually.

This distinction is critical. India’s domestic market remains the primary absorber of production, and any export growth must coexist with domestic consumption patterns and policy frameworks such as Minimum Support Price considerations. Nevertheless, the emergence of even a few hundred thousand tons of exportable surplus represents a structural shift for a country that historically played only a marginal role in global mung bean exports.

Exports gain momentum in 2025

Export data reflects this transition. According to IPGA figures, India exported approximately 15,000 tons of mung beans between January and October 2024. Over the same period in 2025, exports rose sharply to around 75,000 tons. Full-year exports for 2025 are expected to fall within a range of 80,000 to 110,000 tons.

Several factors contributed to this increase. Goyal points to China’s re-entry as a major buyer, the availability of a larger crop in India, and the diversification of sourcing by importers. Well-developed port infrastructure and shorter transit times to Far East Asian markets have also supported export growth. China accounted for approximately 60% of India’s total mung bean exports in 2025, positioning itself as a strategic long-term buyer rather than a purely opportunistic participant.

From January to December 2025, shipments to China are estimated at around 48,000–50,000 metric tons, making India China’s fourth-largest supplier after Uzbekistan, Myanmar, and Australia. This trade developed through a combination of policy shifts, broker networks, and increasingly, direct contracts between buyers and exporters.

Quality, compliance, and market access

India’s growing acceptance in export markets has been underpinned by improvements in quality and compliance. Goyal notes that approximately 90% of export-oriented facilities now operate advanced cleaning, grading, color sorting, and moisture control systems. Traceability has also improved significantly, with blockchain-based tracking increasingly used to meet GACC compliance requirements.

Laboratory testing capacity has expanded, with around 75% of exporters maintaining in-house labs supported by NABL-accredited facilities. Testing for pesticides, heavy metals, and mycotoxins has become standard practice, while APEDA conducts random pre-shipment inspections upon request. By 2025, 127 Indian exporters were registered with GACC, up from just 32 in 2023, reflecting a rapid expansion of export readiness.

Expanding destinations beyond China & competitive positioning

While China dominates current export volumes, India’s mung bean exports are gradually diversifying. Southeast Asian markets such as Vietnam, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Thailand have emerged as consistent destinations. The Middle East, particularly the UAE, also plays a role through direct consumption and re-exports via hubs such as Jebel Ali.

Beyond Asia, demand is visible in markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom. In the U.S., a large Indian diaspora supports traditional consumption, while plant-based food manufacturers increasingly use mung bean protein in alternative products. In the UK, India has become the largest supplier, accounting for roughly 40% of mung bean imports, supported by health food retailers and a sizable Indian restaurant sector.

Indian mung beans are generally positioned as competitively priced, with improving consistency and reliability. While Australia continues to supply premium-quality mung beans at higher price points, and other origins remain active participants in the market, India’s strength lies in its scale, pricing, and expanding compliance capabilities. Rather than displacing existing suppliers, India is increasingly viewed as an additional origin capable of supplying meaningful volumes.

A market to watch

If India sustains production levels above 4 million tons in the coming years, Goyal believes that sustainable exports could reach 300,000 to 400,000 tons annually under an upper-bound scenario where policy alignment, infrastructure, and quality systems continue to improve. Such volumes would mark a significant evolution from current export levels and firmly establish India as a major player in the global mung bean trade.

Risks remain, including tariff policy shifts, regulatory changes, and competition from other origins. However, the foundations for export growth — rising production, improving quality standards, and diversified demand — are now clearly in place.

From a global trade perspective, 2025 may be remembered as the year India’s mung bean sector began its transition from a predominantly domestic industry to one with genuine international relevance. For traders, importers, and policymakers across the pulse supply chain, India is no longer a market to overlook, but one that merits close attention as its export story continues to unfold.