India is the largest producer and consumer of pulses in the world; however increasingly growing consumption exceeds domestic production, requiring support supplementation from imports.

India is a net importer of pulses. In 2023, India’s pulse trade deficit was US$2.4 billion as imports were valued at US$3.1 billion, while exports were valued at US$704.7 million.

India’s top imported pulses were lentils with values of US$1.3 billion (40.6% market share), followed by pigeon peas with values of US$833.4 million (27.0% market share) and beans with values of US$603.6 million (19.6% market share).

Canada’s top pulses exported to India were lentils with values of US$543.9 million (91.6% market share), representing a significant increase in growth of 53.9% from US$63.1 million in 2018, followed by yellow peas with values of US$41.9 million (7.1% market share) and chickpeas with values of US$7.6 million in 2023.