India’s Rice Exporters Seek Deals with Emerging Markets Amid Strong Monsoons

India’s rice exporters are planning to expand their rice export deals in emerging markets such as Iraq, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, a top industry official said, after above-average monsoon rains boosted output. Notably, India is the largest producer and exporter of rice, and further the strong monsoons is helping rice exporters from India to seek export deals from new markets.

Speaking on this context, Dev Garg Vice President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) said that “India is already a major player in the global rice trade, and our aim now is to tap buyers in less-served markets to further boost exports at a time when production and stocks are strong.” India accounts for about 40% of global rice exports, more than the combined shipments of the next four biggest exporters – Thailand, Vietnam, Pakistan and the U.S. Amid strong monsoons and favourable climatic conditions rice stocks in government warehouses have surged to record levels after a series of bumper crops in recent years. Furthermore, the plentiful monsoon rains this year are likely to boost the output further. India harvested a record 146.1 million tons of rice in the crop year to June 2025, far surpassing local demand of 120.7 million tons, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. Indian exporters have identified 26 markets, also including Japan and Mexico, to boost their market share, Garg said.

“Many of these markets buy a lot of their rice from other suppliers, but we aim to raise our share by offering the grades they need,” Garg said, adding that India has several varieties that could be exported to boost farmers’ earnings.

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