Mumbai, SAWIT INDONESIA - At SEA AGM & GlobOil India Conference, The Solvent Extractors’ Association of India (SEA), the Asian Palm Oil Alliance (APOA), and the Indonesian Palm Oil Association (IPOA/GAPKI) announced a tri-party Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen cooperation on trade, sustainability, innovation, and market development across Asia’s palm oil value chain.
India meets over 60% of its edible oil demand through imports, with Indonesia consistently serving as its largest supplier of palm oil for more than a decade. In August 2025 alone, India’s palm oil imports rose nearly 16% to 990,528 tons - the highest in over a year - highlighting its role in meeting India’s edible oil needs. In this context, the MoU between SEA, APOA and IPOA aims to deepen economic ties, support responsible growth, and ensure more stable palm oil supply chain across the region.
“SEA welcomes this partnership with IPOA and APOA as an important step in deepening India’s engagement with Indonesia and other Asian partners,” said Shri Sanjeev Asthana, President, SEA. “The MoU will strengthen India’s access to affordable, high-quality palm oil while enabling Indian stakeholders to benefit from Indonesia’s expertise in sustainable palm oil production. It will also create opportunities for trade and technical cooperation that bring greater stability to India’s edible oil sector.”
“This MoU marks a milestone for palm oil–consuming countries across Asia,” said Atul Chaturvedi, Chairman, APOA. “By working with IPOA and SEA, APOA will help ensure secure supplies, stronger regional cooperation, and wider consumer awareness. Our focus is to represent the voice of Asian consumers while advancing sustainability and inclusive growth in palm oil trade.”
Dr. B. V. Mehta, Executive Director, SEA and Secretary General APOA, said, “This MoU represents a significant step forward in fostering collaboration among major palm oil stakeholders in Asia. It not only strengthens India’s edible oil security but also underscores our shared commitment to sustainability, transparency, and innovation in the palm oil value chain. By aligning efforts through SEA, IPOA, and APOA, we can create a robust platform for knowledge-sharing, policy dialogue, and market development that will benefit producers, consumers, and the entire region.”
The three-year agreement creates a strong framework for collaboration between SEA, APOA and IPOA, focusing on:
- Facilitating stakeholder interaction - Regular delegations and exchanges between Indonesia and APOA member countries.
- Boosting trade through various platforms - Joint conferences, trade fairs, and webinars to strengthen industry engagement.
- Promoting knowledge exchange and technical standards - Sharing research, best practices, and expertise to raise industry benchmarks.
- Improving sustainability through joint projects - Collaborative initiatives aligned with the Indian Palm Oil Sustainability (IPOS) and Indonesian Sustainable Palm Oil (ISPO) frameworks.
- Enhancing consumer awareness - Addressing misconceptions and highlighting palm oil’s role in food security and responsible consumption.
- Policy advocacy - Working with governments and regulators to reduce trade barriers and resolve regulatory challenges.
At the conference, IPOA emphasized “Palm oil is vital to Indonesia’s economy, and through ISPO certification, forest conservation measures, and responsible production, we aim to support India’s food security and climate goals. While challenges like smallholder compliance remain, this partnership will drive innovation and inclusive policies for a resilient supply chain.”
“India accounts for a large share of Indonesia’s palm oil exports and remains one of our most important partners,” said Eddy Martono, Chairman of IPOA. “As one of the world’s largest palm oil producers, Indonesia is ready to work with India, SEA, and APOA to meet consumer demand while promoting responsible and sustainable practices. This MoU will also help expand public awareness of the industry’s positive contributions across the entire value chain, from upstream production to downstream industries.”
Under the MoU, IPOA will support India’s palm oil industry with technical know-how and trade facilitation. IPOA will also advocate the economic and nutritional benefits of Indonesian palm oil in India, invite SEA and APOA as special guests to its events, and extend financial assistance to them to promote sustainable palm oil. SEA and APOA will promote trade opportunities in India, facilitate networking for IPOA (GAPKI) members, and invite IPOA to conferences and seminars held in India and other jurisdictions.
The MoU is valid for three years and to ensure delivery, joint Working Groups will implement and monitor the areas of cooperation. These groups will prepare annual work plans, set KPIs, and publish a joint progress report each year.
