The Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) in a notification said these exports have been permitted to Maldives under bilateral trade agreement between the countries during 2024-25.

In a move to strengthen trade ties, the DGFT has approved the export of 4,750 tonnes of onions to Bhutan, Bahrain, and Mauritius, while also implementing import restrictions on premium duck meat for hotels and restaurants, and revising registration timelines and procedures for yellow pea imports on Wednesday.

Despite the export ban until March 31, India allows 64,400 tonnes of onions to be shipped to the UAE and Bangladesh via NCEL, with additional exports to friendly nations, alongside subsidized sales of buffer onion stock to stabilize prices.

The government of India has permitted exports of 30,000 tonne of non-basmati white rice to Tanzania and 80,000 tonne of broken rice to Djibouti and Guinea Bissau.

The diplomatic row erupted after Pitfield's remarks during a consultation meeting on Tuesday, where she criticized India's rice procurement program at the Minimum Support Price (MSP), alleging that it was being utilized not for the benefit of Indian citizens but to gain an edge in the global export market.

Member states of the Eurasian Economic Union, along with Mongolia, Uzbekistan, and two Russian-supported separatist regions of Georgia - South Ossetia and Abkhazia are exempted from the export restriction imposed by Moscow beginning from March 1.  

In an address at a defence conclave, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh delving into structural defence reforms, said the three services used to work in "silos" earlier but now they are ready with better coordination to deal with any challenge jointly.

Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh gave the confirmation, while speaking to a media house, stating, "We have allowed export of 50,000 tonnes of onion to Bangladesh, 1,200 tonnes to Mauritius, 3,000 tonnes of Bahrain and 560 tonnes to Bhutan with immediate effect." 

India grapples with various domestic challenges including infrastructural deficits, quality control issues, and non-tariff barriers, all of which impede the growth and competitiveness of its agricultural sector