The Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025, been held at Bharat Mandapam on 30th & 31st October in its opening day featured a series of high-powered technical sessions that set the agenda for India’s rice export growth through innovation, logistics reform, and sustainability.
The opening session, “Global Rice Market Evolution,” moderated by Mayank Bhardwaj (Thomson Reuters), brought together Dr. Ashok Gulati (ICRIER), Dr. Prem Garg , National President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) and Chairman of Shri Lal Mahal Group, B.V. Krishna Rao (TREA-K), Nitin Gupta (Olam Agri), Khalid Husain Khan (ITC), Piero Carello (S&P Global), and Unupom Kausik (NCEL). Dr. Prem Garg underscored the need for a unified trade vision to strengthen India’s rice export ecosystem under IREF’s “One Nation, One Trade, One Policy” initiative. The panel discussed global demand trends, market diversification, and transparency in pricing, announcing plans to draft a Vision & Roadmap for the Rice Sector aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047.
The second session, “Shipping Logistics for Rice Trade,” moderated by Asim Anand (S&P Global), featured Rizwan Soomar (DP World), Amitabh Kumar (Former DG Shipping), Ashwin Shanker (Chambers of George Rebello), and Vikrant Agrawal (Eximwala Solutions). Speakers addressed challenges in freight costs, port connectivity, and regulatory reforms, calling for integrated digital logistics systems and stronger public-private partnerships to enhance export efficiency and reduce shipment delays.
Third Session on “Improving Rice Agriculture and Nutrition,” moderated by Pratik Parija (Bloomberg), included Sanjay Sethi (FAO–UN), Ankita Garg (Varaha), and Amit Vatsayan (EY). The discussion focused on climate-smart agriculture, carbon finance, and nutritional fortification, aiming to promote sustainable production and empower smallholder farmers. The panel emphasized that AI-driven innovation and environmental responsibility will define India’s leadership in global rice trade.
The final session, “Value Addition in Rice,” chaired by Tarun Bajaj (APEDA), included Dr. Nese Sreenivasulu (IRRI), Arun Kumar Behera (Odisha Govt), Ranjit Singh (MOFPI), Vinita Sudhanshu (APEDA), and Peter Salam (Manipur Agriculture).
Panelists highlighted branding, packaging, and product innovation as key to enhancing the global competitiveness of Indian rice. The session emphasized the need for value-added exports and GI-tagged products to boost farmer incomes and expand India’s presence in premium markets.
To summarize the sessions reinforced BIRC 2025’s vision of positioning India as a global hub for sustainable, technology-driven rice trade, where innovation, logistics, and farmer empowerment converge to drive the nation’s agricultural growth.