India's Rice Exports: Who Ships It and How to Source

India is the world's largest rice exporter, shipping to well over a hundred countries and accounting for roughly two fifths of global rice trade in recent years. For an importer that scale is an advantage and a complication: there are thousands of exporters, two very different product segments, and a policy environment that has changed several times since 2022. This guide maps the market so you can source with confidence.

Two markets, not one

Basmati

Basmati is a geographically protected, long-grain aromatic rice grown in the northern plains. Exports are regulated by APEDA, which registers exporters and certifies consignments. The main varieties are 1121, 1509 and Pusa, each sold as white (raw), sella (parboiled) or steam rice. Basmati is a premium, branded business: buyers pay for grain length, aroma and elongation on cooking. See our basmati rice specifications.

Non-basmati

Non-basmati rice is the volume business: IR64, Sona Masoori, Swarna, PR11 and parboiled grades, sold by broken percentage from 5% to 100%. It feeds Africa, Bangladesh, Nepal and Southeast Asia and is priced close to the world market. Our non-basmati rice page lists the grades we ship.

The policy backdrop

Rice is a politically sensitive crop in India, and export policy follows the domestic harvest. Between 2022 and 2024 the government restricted broken rice and non-basmati white rice exports and set minimum export prices for basmati to protect domestic supply, then eased the measures as stocks recovered. The lesson for importers is practical: confirm the current DGFT notification for the grade you are buying before contracting, and work with an exporter who tracks the notifications daily. Policy risk is best handled in the contract with clear force-majeure and shipment-window clauses.

Who the exporters are

Search results for "largest rice exporting companies in India" list a handful of household names, but the market has three tiers, and the right partner depends on what you buy.

Tier	What they sell	Best for
Large branded basmati houses	Consumer brands sold worldwide, own milling and retail distribution	Distributors who want an established shelf brand
Large merchant exporters	Bulk non-basmati and basmati in tens of thousands of tonnes	Government tenders and very large importers
Merchant-cum-manufacturer exporters	Bulk and private-label rice, flexible grades and packing, direct contact	Importers and wholesalers who want their own brand, a single point of contact and container-scale flexibility

Retail brands such as India Gate and Daawat belong to the first tier and sell finished consumer packs at brand prices. A merchant-cum-manufacturer exporter supplies the same grades in bulk or under your own label, which is where the margin sits for an importer building a brand. TGK Agro sits in that third tier: we hold an APEDA registration as a merchant-cum-manufacturer exporter, pack under buyers' labels, and ship container loads through JNPT Mumbai with full documentation.

Where Indian rice goes

• Gulf states: Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran and Iraq are the largest basmati markets. Dubai is also a re-export hub, and searches for "rice supplier in Dubai" and "rice suppliers in UAE" are among the most active buyer queries we see.
• Africa: Benin, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo and others take parboiled and broken non-basmati.
• South Asia: Bangladesh and Nepal buy non-basmati in volume when Indian policy allows.
• Europe and North America: mainly basmati, with strict pesticide-residue limits that shape which lots qualify.

How to source: the specification

A clear specification prevents most disputes. Cover these points in the enquiry and the contract:

• Variety and type: for example 1121 sella, or IR64 parboiled 5% broken.
• Average grain length, broken percentage, moisture, purity and admixture limits.
• Crop year and milling date requirements.
• Packing: 10, 25 or 50 kg PP or non-woven bags, or private-label consumer packs.
• Quantity in containers; a 20-foot container holds about 24 to 26 tonnes of bagged rice.
• Port of loading and incoterm. Basmati usually loads at JNPT Mumbai or Mundra; non-basmati also ships from Kakinada and Kandla.
• Documents: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, certificate of origin, phytosanitary certificate, fumigation certificate, APEDA registration for basmati, and a quality certificate from an independent surveyor if required.
• Payment: letter of credit at sight is standard for first orders; wire transfer against documents is common once a relationship exists.

Sourcing for the UAE and the wider Gulf

Gulf importers mostly buy basmati, split between branded 5 kg retail packs and bulk sella for food service and repacking. Jebel Ali is the main discharge port and re-export point. Importers should ask for the APEDA certificate with each consignment, confirm the sella process (golden or white), and agree bag marking in advance. Sea transit from Mumbai to Jebel Ali is short, typically under a week, so shipment windows can be tight and repeat orders frequent.

What drives the price

• The monsoon and the kharif harvest, which set the size of the non-basmati crop.
• Minimum support prices for paddy, which set a floor under domestic prices.
• Export policy: any restriction or minimum export price moves quotes immediately.
• Ocean freight and container availability on the Gulf, Africa and Europe routes.
• The rupee-dollar rate.

Frequently asked questions

Which country is the largest rice exporter?

India, followed by Thailand and Vietnam. India's share of world rice trade has been around forty percent in recent years, depending on export policy.

What is the difference between 1121 and 1509 basmati?

1121 has the longest grain and greatest elongation on cooking and is priced higher; 1509 is slightly shorter and more economical. Both are sold as white, sella and steam.

Can a new importer buy one container?

Yes. A single 20-foot container is a normal first order for a merchant-cum-manufacturer exporter, and mixed loads of two grades can be arranged.

How long does shipment take?

Typically two to three weeks from confirmed order to loading, subject to vessel space, then transit of about a week to the Gulf, three to four weeks to West Africa and four to five weeks to Europe.