As per the data from the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS), India exported basmati rice worth about Rs. 38,524 crore (nearly $4.79 billion) in the 2022–23 fiscal (April–March), a jump of about Rs. 12,109 crores from 2021–22.
In terms of value in rupees, Indian exports of long-grained aromatic rice were about 45.84% higher in 2022–23 than in the previous fiscal. According to the DGCIS data, India exported about 39.47 lakh metric tons (LMT) of basmati rice, valued at Rs. 26,415 ($3.47 billion) in 2021–22.
The country exported about 45.61 lakh metric tons of basmati rice in 2022–23, about 6.14 LMT (15.55%) more than in 2021–22. As per the DGCIS data, India exported basmati rice to 149 countries in 2022–23, while in 2021–22, the country sold the commodity to 153 countries.
Iran was the biggest importer of Indian basmati rice in quantity at about 9.98 LMT, followed by Saudi Arabia at 9.54 LMT and Iraq, a distant third at 3.64 LMT. Other big importers include the United Arab Emirates (3.15 LMT), the Yemen Republic (2.89 LMT), the United States of America (2.04 LMT), Kuwait (1.56 LMT), the United Kingdom (1.43 LMT), Oman (1.12 LMT), and Jordan (1.05 LMT).
In terms of value in rupees, Saudi Arabia was the biggest buyer, paying Rs. 8,362.25 crore for the Indian basmati rice, followed by Iran (Rs. 7,838 crores), Iraq (Rs. 3,032 crores), the UAE (Rs. 2,689.1 crores), and the Yemen Republic (Rs. 2,473 crores). Other big buyers of basmati rice in terms of value include the US (Rs. 1,920 crores), Kuwait (Rs. 1,276 crore), the United Kingdom (Rs. 1,109 crore), Oman (Rs. 1,013 crore), and Jordan (Rs. 934 crores).