New Delhi | The Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) has scheduled 2,038 business-to-business meetings ahead of its opening this week, as India's rice industry seeks to expand commercial links with international buyers amid shifting global prices and demand.
The three-day event, organised by the Indian Rice Exporters' Federation (IREF), will run from October 23 to 25 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. It has recorded 4,649 buyer registrations from more than 150 countries, including Kuwait, South Africa, Benin, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, the organisers said in a statement.
Exhibition space has sold out for a second consecutive year, with more than 180 companies expected to participate across Halls 4 and 5. The scheduled meetings have been arranged through the conference's digital platform, with EY coordinating one-to-one engagements between Indian suppliers and prospective international customers.
Participation spans major rice-producing and trading states, including Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.
"One of the most encouraging aspects of BIRC 2026 is the combination of strong participation from across India and growing interest from international buyers," Dev Garg, national vice president of IREF, said.
"Nearly 91 per cent of the registrations reflected in our state-wise map are from outside Delhi. Maharashtra accounts for 13.1 per cent, Delhi 9.2 per cent, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal 8.4 per cent each, Gujarat 8.2 per cent, Tamil Nadu 6.2 per cent, Madhya Pradesh 5.2 per cent and Karnataka 5.1 per cent," he said.
"This demonstrates the broad geographic reach of the conference within India. Our objective is to connect this nationwide industry participation with buyers from around the world and create opportunities for meaningful commercial engagement," Garg added.
The conference will host nine knowledge sessions on October 23 and 24, focusing on global supply and demand, export opportunities, shipping costs, payment risks, quality standards and government policies.
An opening session titled 'Global Rice Demand and Supply Outlook 2027: Price Crash or New Bull Run?' will bring together experts from S&P Global, BigMint, EY and IREF to examine market conditions and assess potential price trajectories under bullish, base-case and bearish scenarios.
The event will also unveil its list of the 'Top 10 Rice Markets to Watch in 2027', assessing potential destinations for Indian basmati and non-basmati rice based on demand, competition, pricing, market access and payment risks.
Other sessions will cover export payments and insurance, certification, sustainability, rice-milling profitability and value-added products. The programme is intended to provide exporters and processors with market indicators and practical tools for commercial and investment decisions.
The event will also feature a Global Rice Archive showcasing about 200 rice varieties from India and other countries.
A Rice Festival on October 25 will bring together cuisines from more than 50 countries, more than 25 biryani varieties, chef competitions, cultural performances and family activities. The programme will highlight opportunities across the rice value chain, including specialty varieties and value-added products.
The inaugural BIRC in 2025 attracted 10,854 visitors, including 1,083 international buyers from more than 90 countries, according to the organisers.
An EY post-event assessment reported business commitments generated at the conference at Rs 33,453 crore, covering about 8.63 million tonnes of rice.
The 2026 edition will seek to build on that base with a larger international buyer pool and more than 2,000 scheduled business meetings. The number of registrations and meetings indicates the scale of planned engagement, although the organisers have not provided a comparable forecast of business commitments for this year.
BIRC 2026 will be held from October 23 to 25 at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. Knowledge sessions will also be livestreamed.