diff --git a/core-plugins/src/main/java/io/cdap/plugin/batch/source/ExcelInputReader.java b/core-plugins/src/main/java/io/cdap/plugin/batch/source/ExcelInputReader.java
index 65665ee7c..350fa9cf6 100644
--- a/core-plugins/src/main/java/io/cdap/plugin/batch/source/ExcelInputReader.java
+++ b/core-plugins/src/main/java/io/cdap/plugin/batch/source/ExcelInputReader.java
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ public class ExcelInputReader extends BatchSource<LongWritable, Object, Structur
   private static final String RECORD = "record";
   private static final String EXIT_ON_ERROR = "Exit on error";
   private static final String WRITE_ERROR_DATASET = "Write to error dataset";
-  private static final String NULL = "NULL";
+  private static final String NULL = "";
   private static final String END = "END";
   private static final String SHEET_NO = "Sheet Number";
 
@@ -204,7 +204,6 @@ public void transform(KeyValue<LongWritable, Object> input, Emitter<StructuredRe
       if (columnValue.length > 1) {
         String name = columnValue[0];
         String value = columnValue[1];
-
         if (columnMapping.containsKey(name)) {
           excelColumnValueMap.put(columnMapping.get(name), value);
         } else {
diff --git a/core-plugins/src/test/resources/civil_test_data_two.xlsx b/core-plugins/src/test/resources/civil_test_data_two.xlsx
index d0b859766..24bafe3e5 100644
Binary files a/core-plugins/src/test/resources/civil_test_data_two.xlsx and b/core-plugins/src/test/resources/civil_test_data_two.xlsx differ