According to the commerce ministry data, India’s rice exports declined by 7.5 per cent to $11.53 billion in 2025-26, primarily because shipments to key markets, including countries in the Middle East, decreased. In 2024-25, India exported 20.1 million tonnes of rice valued at $12.5 billion, reaching more than 172 countries. Besides, the exports in March 2026 declined 15.36 per cent to $997.53 million. 

Shipments to middle east region nations, including Iran, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Oman have been impacted due to the war between US-Israel and Iran. Iran is India's top basmati rice export destination, but the shipments are witnessing growing stress on order flows, payment cycles, and ship schedules due to the prevailing instability. 

India is one of the world's largest producers and exporters of rice. It produced around 150 million tonnes of rice in 2024-25 from nearly 47 million hectares, accounting for about 28 per cent of global output. Average yields have improved from 2.72 tonnes per hectare in 2014-15 to about 3.2 tonnes per hectare in 2024-25, driven by improved seed varieties, better agronomic practices, and expanded irrigation coverage.