India's Rice Export Expansion Strategy

India has identified 26 new markets for rice export expansion, targeting nations including Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Vietnam, Japan, Mexico, China, and others, where competitors like Pakistan and Thailand currently dominate. These 26 markets import ₹1,80,000 crore (approximately $21.6 billion) worth of rice from other countries annually.

India's rice exports in September surged 33.18% to $925 million, and for April-September the year-to-date figures show a 10% increase to $5.63 billion. India produced around 150 million tonnes of rice in 2024-25 from nearly 47 million hectares, accounting for about 28% of global output. In FY 2024-25, India exported 20.1 million metric tonnes valued at approximately $12.95 billion, reaching more than 172 countries.

For the 2025-26 marketing year, the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) aims to export a record 30 million tons of rice, significantly above the typical range of 22-23 million tons. India's estimated record rice harvest of 145 million tons this year is expected to comfortably meet domestic consumption and significantly increase the exportable surplus.