Russia-Ukraine Conflict to Have Impact on India’s Farming Sector, says Finance Minister

India is more concerned about the impact of the Ukraine-Russia conflict, particularly on its exports, according to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. She told industry leaders at an event here that the Centre was aware of the situation and that conversations across Ministries were underway for a "full evaluation" of the situation.

"On the wider issue of the current situation in Ukraine, India's position in the United Nations Security Council, and so on." "It is widely open and I went through the press releases and press commentary that the Ministry of External Affairs is issuing," she stated.

Expressing concern over the country's imports and exports from Russia and the war-torn nation, she said, "As regards what is going to have a bearing on our immediate imports and equally on our exports to Ukraine, we are rightly worried about what comes from there, but I am more worried about what is going to happen to our exporters who are doing very well, particularly to the farming sector,"

"We are already looking at an urgent scenario," Sitharaman said in response to a question on the growing crisis in Ukraine. "However, I would have to have a comprehensive assessment done through the many concerned Ministries and then only be in a position to remark on it." She did promise, however, that the administration was well aware of the situation in its granular form, since it would have an impact on basics such as edible oil from Ukraine and so on.

India is presently working to return students stuck in Ukraine as a result of the standoff, and on Monday, the sixth flight under India's 'Operation Ganga' evacuation operation departed Budapest for New Delhi with 240 Indian nationals.