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The two-day Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2025 has concluded at Bharat Mandapam here, marking a significant boost for India's agricultural exports and advancements in rice processing technology.
Supported by the Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India, along with several government and industry bodies, the conference drew an impressive 10,854 visitors, including 1,083 international buyers and 154 exhibitors from across the country. Strengthening India's trade partnerships, MoUs worth Rs 30,435 crore were signed on the concluding day (October 31) alone, underscoring growing global confidence in India's rice sector. The second day kept the momentum going with four focused panel talks, where speakers shared on-the-ground tips and policy angles for the rice business. Organisers said a similar big-ticket event is lined up for 2026, with dates to be announced soon. The first talk zeroed in on "Quality Certification and Food Safety" norms. Pratik Parija from Bloomberg guided the chat. Soumik Mondal, Head of Certification at SGS, outlined digital tags for traceable supply lines. Dr Priyanka Sarkar, Project Manager - Schemes Quality Council of India (QCI), pointed to gaps in small mill setups, while Tarun Bajaj, Director BEDF at APEDA, wrapped up with plans for farmer training on hazard analysis. Next up was a session on "Organic Rice and Related Goods". Saswati Bose, General Manager at APEDA, kept things moving. Shri Abhishek Dev, Chairman of APEDA, opened by noting a 30 per cent jump in organic shipments last year. Dr Gagnesh Sharma, Director at the National Centre for Organic and Natural Farming, shared soil revival tricks from Punjab trials. Anil Jadhav, Regional Director at ECOCERT, discussed certification costs for startups, and Sh Maqbool Lyngdoh Suiam, Chief Administrative Officer at MEGNOLIA, spoke on Meghalaya's wild rice strains. Vipul Mittal, MD of NCOL, and Tapan Ray from Pratithi Organics Pvt Ltd, added notes on market links for hill farmers. The third panel took on "Logistics, Credit, and Insurance covers". Sandip Das from the Financial Express moderated. Deepak Gandhi, Director Growth at Drip Capital, explained low-interest loans for exporters hit by delays. Shweta Bukshet, Director, Rajesh Global Food GmbH , and Vikram Sadiya, Director, AgriSea Dubai covered marine risks in rough seas, while Arpita Sen, General Manager and Chief Underwriting Officer at the Export Credit Guarantee Corporation of India Limited, detailed covers that cut premium hikes for bulk deals. The closing session looked ahead to the role of rice in achieving Viksit Bharat 2047. Dev Garg, Vice-President, Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF), emphasised the importance of maintaining steady Minimum Support Prices (MSP) to ensure long-term farmer viability. Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Partner, SAT, EY, presented insights on the potential of carbon credits for low-water, climate-smart rice cultivation. Sanjay Sethi, FAO UN, concluded the session by connecting India's progress in premium basmati exports with global hunger reduction and sustainable development goals. The day ended on a high note with the release of a coffee table book on Indian rice varieties and an awards ceremony that gave nods to top exporters and innovative startups for their work in sustainable packing and digital sales. (ANI)
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