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Urad Dal, known internationally as Black Gram or split black lentil, is one of the most prized pulses in Indian cuisine — a high-protein legume (Vigna mungo) whose sticky, mucilaginous texture makes it uniquely irreplaceable in fermented and ground-batter foods. The whole black bean is dehusked and split to yield two distinct export forms: 'chilka' (split with the black husk retained, giving a speckled black-and-white grain) and 'dhuli' (split and fully dehusked, giving a clean creamy-white grain). It is the indispensable base for South Indian staples like idli, dosa, vada, and papad, where its natural binding and fermentation properties cannot be substituted.

India is the world's largest producer and consumer of black gram, cultivating roughly 2.5–3.0 million MT annually across Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra as both a Kharif and Rabi crop. Despite being the dominant producer, India remains a net importer to meet domestic demand, drawing supplementary supply from Myanmar. For export markets, the diaspora-driven demand for authentic idli/dosa batter, papad manufacturing, and ground urad flour keeps Indian-origin urad dal the global benchmark for quality and culinary performance.

Globally, urad dal trades in two principal forms with grade tiers within each: dhuli (white, fully dehusked) split commands a premium for its clean appearance and use in white papad and fine batters, while chilka (split with husk) is favoured for its higher fibre and rustic texture in regional cooking. India differentiates on diaspora loyalty, fermentation performance, and consistent dehusking quality versus the bulk-origin Myanmar (Burma) supply that competes primarily on whole-bean and price-sensitive lots.