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The Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2026 opens at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Friday, bringing together Indian rice exporters and international buyers to explore new markets, assess the global rice price outlook for 2027 and identify opportunities to improve returns across the industry.
The three-day event, organised by the Indian Rice Exporters' Federation (IREF), has recorded 32,467 registrations, including 4,856 buyers from 153 countries, said BIRC. It will feature 65 speakers, nine knowledge sessions and 2,038 business-to-business (B2B) meetings already scheduled through the conference's digital platform. The exhibition space has been fully booked for the second consecutive year, with more than 180 companies expected to showcase their products and capabilities. Participants from 23 Indian states are set to connect domestic rice-producing, processing and trading centres with international markets. The conference comes at a time when rice businesses are assessing changing global demand, price movements and opportunities to expand exports. Its knowledge programme, scheduled for October 23 and 24, will focus on market conditions, export opportunities and ways to improve profitability across the rice value chain. The opening session, titled "Global Rice Demand and Supply Outlook 2027: Price Crash or New Bull Run?", will examine possible price movements in Basmati and non-Basmati rice. Another session will identify the top 10 rice markets to watch in 2027, considering demand, competition, product suitability, costs and payment risks. Other discussions will cover crop surveys, price forecasting, export documentation, insurance, credit, shipping, quality certification, government policy, sustainability and profitable rice milling. "With 2,038 meetings already scheduled, the focus is on meaningful business engagement from the start," said Dev Garg, National Vice President of IREF. Nine Experience Zones, including the Global Rice Archive, will showcase rice varieties, farming communities, cuisines and commercial uses. The archive will feature around 200 rice varieties from India and other parts of the world. The conference will also include a public-facing Rice Festival on October 25, with culinary activities curated by ITC Hotels, chef competitions, an influencer cook-off, cultural performances and quizzes. The inaugural BIRC in 2025 attracted 10,854 visitors, including 1,083 international buyers from more than 90 countries. According to an EY post-event assessment cited by the organisers, it generated reported business commitments worth Rs 33,453 crore, covering approximately 8.63 million tonnes of rice. (ANI)
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