Indian Rice Draws Global Interest as 3,317 Buyers from 138 Countries Register for BIRC 2026: Dev Garg

 Indian rice is drawing strong interest from global buyers, with 3,317 buyers from 138 countries registering for the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2026, according to buyer data released ahead of the three-day industry event.

The registrations, recorded as of August 30, have come nearly two months before BIRC 2026, which will be held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, from October 23 to 25.

The geographical spread of the registrations is emerging as one of the key features of this year’s conference, with buyers from neighbouring markets, Africa, the Gulf and Southeast Asia showing significant participation.

Bangladesh leads the country-wise registrations with 336 buyers, followed by Benin with 179 and Nigeria with 177. The United Arab Emirates has registered 145 buyers, while Nepal and the Philippines have recorded 137 each. Ethiopia has 127 registrations, Saudi Arabia 125, and Indonesia and South Africa 109 each.

Registrations have also been received from Senegal, Iraq, Somalia, Guinea, Yemen, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Australia, Mali, Malaysia, Ghana, Angola and Kenya, among several other established and emerging markets.

Focus shifts from buyer interest to actual business

The organisers said the objective of BIRC 2026 is to convert the growing international interest into new commercial opportunities and long-term relationships for Indian rice exporters.

“The response to BIRC 2026 clearly demonstrates the breadth of global markets looking at India. With 3,317 buyers from 138 countries already registered, our focus is to convert this international participation into new trade routes, new buyers and long-term business relationships for Indian rice exporters,” said Dev Garg, Vice President, Indian Rice Exporters’ Federation (IREF).

Garg said BIRC 2026 is being positioned as a business platform that can facilitate targeted engagement between international buyers and Indian exporters.

“Our app-enabled B2B matchmaking will allow buyers, exporters, millers and service providers to identify and schedule targeted meetings based on rice varieties, volumes, product specifications and market requirements. The objective is to move from general networking to commercially meaningful business engagement,” he said.

Africa, Gulf and Southeast Asia emerge as key opportunity markets

The country-wise registration data points to growing opportunities for Indian rice exporters across several emerging and established markets.

Africa has emerged as a particularly important region, with strong buyer participation from Benin, Nigeria and Ethiopia, along with registrations from South Africa, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Ghana, Angola and Kenya.

The Gulf remains another important market and trading hub, led by the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

In Southeast Asia, registrations from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia point to opportunities for deeper engagement with regional buyers.

The organisers believe this geographical diversity could help Indian exporters expand their customer base, identify new destinations and reduce excessive dependence on individual markets.

BIRC builds on ₹1.8 lakh crore market-diversification opportunity

BIRC 2026 builds on the market-diversification initiative undertaken during the previous edition, which sought to unlock potential rice-import markets estimated at ₹1.8 lakh crore.

The latest buyer registrations provide a wider platform to pursue that opportunity through direct, country-specific business engagement.

App-enabled B2B meetings will operate throughout the conference, allowing buyers, exporters, millers and service providers to schedule targeted discussions in advance.

The matchmaking platform will facilitate meetings based on rice varieties, product specifications, volumes, market requirements and buyer preferences, with the aim of making business interactions more focused and commercially productive.

Global rice market outlook to take centre stage

One of the key sessions at BIRC 2026 will examine the global rice market outlook for 2027 under the theme:

“Global Demand & Supply Outlook 2027: Price Crash or New Bull Run?”

The session will bring together crop surveys, production estimates, demand and supply data, stock levels and expert market views to examine potential price and trade scenarios for 2027.

Nine business-focused knowledge sessions will cover Crop Survey and Price Forecasting; New Market Opportunities; Documentation, Insurance and Credit; Bulk and Container Shipping; Quality and Certification; Policy, Trade Schemes and Incentives; Sustainability and Carbon Credits; Profitable Rice Milling; and Value-Added Products.

The sessions are being designed as practical business-training modules focused on market expansion, risk reduction, payment protection, margin improvement and commercially usable information.

Rice Sector Vision 2047 and innovation showcase

BIRC 2026 will also feature the launch of Rice Sector Vision 2047, the Top Five Innovations Reveal, an Innovation Showcase and an Ambassadors’ Meet.

Nine immersive Experience Zones will showcase the rice ecosystem, covering its origins, biodiversity, farming communities, global cuisines, trade routes, value-added applications and future seed innovation.

The programme is expected to bring together international buyers, Indian exporters, millers, policymakers, technology providers and other stakeholders across the rice value chain.

Rice Festival to bring the industry closer to consumers

On October 25, BIRC will open its public-facing Rice Festival.

ITC Hotels will once again curate the culinary section, while the programme will feature the Top Five Global Rice Varieties, “Biryani Reinvented” Master Chef Contest, an influencer cook-off, rice quizzes, cultural performances and a session on starting a rice business.

With buyer registrations already crossing 3,300 from 138 countries, BIRC 2026 is positioning itself as a major global business platform for the Indian rice industry.

For Indian exporters, the larger opportunity will be to convert this unprecedented geographical participation into new markets, new trade routes and sustained long-term export relationships.