India targets 26 new markets in ambitious rice export expansion drive
The announcement comes ahead of the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025, a flagship event that will explore trade opportunities and strengthen India’s dominance in the global rice supply chain.
INDIA – India is setting its sights on expanding its rice export footprint to 26 new global markets, including key destinations such as the Philippines, Indonesia, the United Kingdom, and Mexico, according to Abhishek Dev, Chairman of the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA).
The announcement comes ahead of the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025, a flagship event that will bring together government officials, exporters, millers, and international buyers to explore trade opportunities and strengthen India’s dominance in the global rice supply chain.
The two-day conference, organized by the Indian Rice Exporters’ Federation (IREF) in collaboration with APEDA, will take place at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and is expected to host over 3,000 farmers and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs), 1,000 foreign buyers from more than 80 countries, and 2,500 stakeholders from across the rice industry.
According to the Indian Commerce Ministry, the conference aims to unlock potential opportunities worth ₹1.8 lakh crore (US$21.6 billion) in new rice import markets, with anticipated Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) worth ₹25,000 crore (US$3 billion) to be signed during the event.
“India is one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of rice, supplying to over 172 countries. BIRC 2025 will serve as a platform for stakeholders to strengthen India’s presence in global food supply chains,” Dev said.
He emphasized that the new market expansion targets regions that currently source rice from competitors like Pakistan, including Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, Iraq, the US, Malaysia, China, France, the UAE, Brazil, South Africa, Belgium, Japan, Germany, and Kenya.
India’s rice export performance has remained robust in recent months. In September 2025 alone, exports surged by 33.18% to US$ 925 million, while during April–September of fiscal year 2024–25, total rice exports grew by 10% to US4 5.63 billion, according to APEDA data.
The upcoming BIRC 2025 is designed not only as a trade and networking platform but also as a strategic dialogue forum.
Dev noted that the event would bring together producers, exporters, importers, policymakers, financiers, logisticians, research institutions, and allied service providers to enhance transparency, efficiency, and resilience across the rice trade ecosystem.
India continues to cement its position as the world’s top rice exporter. In FY25, the country shipped 20.1 million metric tonnes of rice valued at US$ 12.95 billion.
On the production front, India harvested approximately 150 million tonnes of rice in 2024–25, cultivated over 47 million hectares, representing nearly 28% of global rice output.
Yield improvements have been a key driver of India’s production success. Over the past decade, average yields have risen from 2.72 tonnes per hectare in 2014–15 to 3.2 tonnes per hectare in 2024–25, thanks to the adoption of high-yielding varieties, mechanized farming practices, and improved irrigation systems.
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