Indian Rice Finds 2 New Buyers In Turkey, Jordan As War Hits Iran's Demand

India's rice exporters may have found their next big opportunity in places that were not even on the radar a year ago.

Indian rice shipments to Jordan have jumped nearly eight-fold, while Indian basmati exports to Turkey have doubled. The two countries are not usually counted among the world's biggest rice import markets. Yet they are quickly becoming more important for Indian exporters.

That shift could offer a glimpse of where India's next rice export boom may come from.

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The issue will be discussed at the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2026 in New Delhi, where exporters and global buyers will look beyond the traditional list of major rice markets.

Why Turkey And Jordan Are Suddenly Important

The sharp rise in shipments to Turkey and Jordan comes as rice trade routes in the region have been changing.

Indian shipments to Iran fell sharply amid disruption to direct trade. At the same time, rice continued moving through the wider Middle East, creating new routes and sourcing opportunities.

That does not necessarily mean people in Jordan suddenly started eating eight times more Indian rice.

Some of the increase reflects changes in regional trade flows. Jordan, for instance, can also play a role in wider distribution.

For exporters, however, the shift is important.

A market can become attractive because of rising consumption. It can also become important because it is a distribution hub, offers better prices, faces less competition or provides an alternative route into another geography.

As a result, a big rice market and a good rice market are not always the same thing.

Where Will The Next $10 Billion In Rice Demand Come From?

Global rice trade is expected to expand substantially over the next decade.

The OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook 2026-2035 projects global rice trade to rise by around 22 million tonnes during the period, reaching about 81 million tonnes by 2035.

Africa is expected to account for an increasing share of global rice imports. Its share is projected to rise from around 35 per cent currently to about 45 per cent by 2035.

For India, that creates a much bigger opportunity. But it also raises a difficult question for exporters: which markets should they enter before everyone else notices them?

That is the focus of BIRC 2026's session, "Top 10 Rice Markets to Watch in 2027: Demand Signals and Entry Strategies".

The session will look at more than just import volumes. It will examine demand growth, import dependence, competition, prices, freight costs, duties, regulations and payment risks.

India Already Exports Rice To More Than 170 Countries

India is already a major player in global rice trade and exports rice to more than 170 countries. But much of the business remains concentrated in established destinations.

The next phase of growth may therefore require exporters to find new customers rather than simply sell more rice to the same buyers.

Data from 26 priority markets identified around BIRC 2025 offers one indication of what diversification can deliver.

Between November 2025 and March 2026, exports to these markets stood at around Rs 23,476 crore, covering 4.79 million tonnes. Volumes were 5.6 per cent above the corresponding three-year average.

The challenge now is to identify which markets could become the next growth engines.

Dev Garg, Vice-President of the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF), said the way exporters select markets needs to change. "The traditional approach has been to look at the largest import markets and assume that those are automatically the best opportunities. We want to challenge that thinking," Garg said.

He pointed to Turkey and Jordan as examples. "Turkey and Jordan are excellent examples. Very few people would have identified them as standout markets at the beginning of the year, yet the trade data changed dramatically," he said.

Garg also cautioned against looking at headline growth numbers in isolation. "Part of this growth has resulted from changes in the Iranian trade route. But that itself is market intelligence. A country may matter because of consumption, because of distribution, because it gives access to another geography, or because the competitive environment suddenly changes," he said.

Global Buyers Are Looking Beyond Traditional Markets

Aman Gupta, Managing Director of Shiv Shakti Interglobe Exports, told NDTV that the global rice market is already showing signs of this shift.

"BIRC 2026 is highlighting an important shift in the global rice trade, with international buyers from a much wider range of markets showing interest in Indian rice. The growing focus on markets such as Turkey and Jordan reflects the opportunity for Indian exporters to diversify beyond traditional destinations," Gupta said.

He said India's scale and supply capabilities put its exporters in a strong position to capture this demand.

"With our scale, quality, processing capabilities and reliable supply chain, Indian exporters are well positioned to serve this emerging demand. The participation of buyers from over 130 countries at BIRC 2026 itself reflects the widening global interest in Indian rice," Gupta added.

According to him, the opportunity is no longer limited to India's traditional customers. "We see the next phase of growth coming not only from our traditional markets, but increasingly from newer destinations where consumption and demand for quality rice are expanding," he said.