We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry.
We focus on grains and food industry. current time
BIRC 2026 Attracts 3,317 Global Buyers as Indian Rice Expands Export Reach
Indian rice is attracting broad international attention ahead of the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2026, with 3,317 buyers from 138 countries registering for the three-day event. The strong response, recorded by August 30, has come well ahead of the conference, which is scheduled at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi from October 23 to 25.
The registration pattern points to growing interest across a diverse range of markets. Bangladesh has recorded the highest participation with 336 buyers, followed by Benin with 179 and Nigeria with 177. The UAE has registered 145 buyers, while Nepal and the Philippines have 137 each. Ethiopia accounts for 127 registrations and Saudi Arabia for 125. Indonesia and South Africa have each recorded 109 buyers.
Participation is also coming from several African, Gulf and Southeast Asian markets, including Senegal, Iraq, Somalia, Guinea, Yemen, Côte d’Ivoire, Niger, Australia, Mali, Malaysia, Ghana, Angola and Kenya. The breadth of participation gives Indian exporters an opportunity to explore markets beyond their traditional destinations and build a wider overseas customer base.
A major focus of BIRC 2026 will be turning this large pool of international participation into actual commercial opportunities. The conference is being structured around targeted business-to-business meetings, with an app-based matchmaking system designed to connect buyers with exporters, rice millers and service providers according to varieties, required volumes, product specifications and individual market needs.
Africa is expected to remain an important growth region, particularly with sizeable participation from Benin, Nigeria and Ethiopia. The Gulf also continues to hold strategic importance, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia featuring prominently among registered buyers. Meanwhile, interest from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia could provide scope for stronger links with Southeast Asian markets.
The conference builds on earlier efforts to diversify India’s rice export destinations, including an initiative focused on markets with an estimated potential of Rs 1.8 lakh crore. The latest registration figures offer a much larger platform for pursuing that opportunity through direct engagement with buyers from individual countries.
BIRC 2026 will also examine the global rice market outlook for 2027. Nine knowledge sessions will address subjects ranging from crop assessment, price forecasting and new markets to shipping, documentation, finance, insurance, quality standards, certification, policy, sustainability, milling and value-added rice products.
Other highlights include the launch of Rice Sector Vision 2047, an innovation showcase, the Top Five Innovations Reveal, an Ambassadors’ Meet and nine experience zones covering farming, biodiversity, cuisines, trade, value-added products and seed innovation.
The event will conclude with a public Rice Festival on October 25, adding a consumer-focused dimension to the business gathering.
