Top Agricultural Products Exported from India

India farms produce enough to feed one sixth of the world’s population, and export statistics do the talking. Nearly USD 52 billion worth of agricultural produce was exported during FY 20_24-25. Ships carrying grains, rice, spices, oilseeds, raw cotton departed from ports laden with Indian goodness to every corner of the world. Here at Srindhya Global, our customers based out of GCC, Southeast Asia and Africa purchase Indian rice, spices, edible oils, pulses and value-added food items regularly. So you can say that we have seen the ins and outs of this trade firsthand.

1. Rice: The Biggest Name on the List

Rice sits right at the top. India grew close to 150 million tonnes of rice in 2024-25, which made it the world’s largest rice grower for that year, and it ships out nearly three times more rice than Thailand, the next big exporter. Rice exports alone brought in somewhere around USD 12.5 to 13 billion.

Two types drive this number:

• Basmati rice goes mostly to Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, and the UAE, with these five Middle East markets together taking well over half of all basmati shipments. Its long grain and aroma keep it priced well above other rice types.
• Non-basmati rice moves in bulk to African countries such as Benin, Guinea, Côte d’Ivoire, and Togo, along with Bangladesh, where price matters more than variety.

2. Marine Products: Shrimp Leads the Way

Marine products worth around USD 7-7.5 billion annually, of which frozen shrimp dominates, comes second after rice. USA & China are the largest importers of Indian shrimp. Marine product exports have continued to register robust growth year-on-year through FY25-26. India’s marine exports are governed by a different organization MPEDA and not APEDA but still fall under the agriculture & allied food products category.

3. Spices: A Category India Leads Globally

India produces and exports over 70% of all spices found across the globe. Spices as a category alone surpassed USD 4.5 Billion in exports. Turmeric led all spices this past year with significant growth, fueled by demand for curcumin rich superfood powders and supplements. Also popular are cumin and chilli, which found buyers in the Middle East, Europe, and North America.

4. Cotton and Cotton Yarn

Raw cotton and cotton yarn together add up to a large share of India’s outbound farm goods, running into billions of dollars when combined with related textile shipments. Bangladesh, China, and Vietnam are among the main buyers, feeding their own textile mills with Indian raw material.

5. Sugar

Sugar exports move under a government quota system rather than an open market. For the 2024-25 season, the government set a quota of 1.5 million tonnes, later adding another 500,000 tonnes. Buyers looking to source Indian sugar need to check quota status and work with a registered mill before placing an order, since raw, white, refined, and organic sugar all fall under this restricted setup.

6. Coffee

Indian coffee output hit a record high recently, helped along by a supply gap out of Vietnam that pushed global buyers toward Indian beans. Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu grow most of the crop, and Italy, Germany, and Russia remain steady buyers of Indian coffee beans.

7. Oilseeds and Groundnuts

Groundnuts, sesame, and other oilseeds make up a smaller but steady export line. Groundnuts head mostly to Southeast Asia and parts of Europe, where Indian supply fills gaps left by other growing regions during off seasons.

8. Fresh Fruits

Mangoes and grapes lead this group, with demand rising fast both from Indian diaspora communities abroad and from mainstream retail chains picking up Indian produce. Fresh fruit shipments as a whole rose by close to 29% in a recent year, a sharp jump that points to more retail chains abroad stocking Indian-grown fruit.

9. Organic and Processed Food Products

This is the fastest-growing group on the list. Ready-to-eat meals, mango pulp, and organic-certified goods are pulling in buyers across the US, EU, and Japan who want traceable and agricultural-and-processed-food-products, chemical-free food. India ranks among the largest producers of organic goods worldwide, and this category, while still smaller in dollar terms than rice or marine products, is where the most growth is happening year on year.

Why These Numbers Matter for Buyers

If you are sourcing from India, a few points are worth keeping in mind:

• Documentation is not optional. Most farm exports need an RCMC from APEDA, MPEDA, or the Spices Board depending on the product, along with an Import Export Code from the DGFT.
• Quality checks vary by market. The US, EU, and Gulf countries each set their own residue limits and packaging rules, so a supplier that ships well to Dubai may need extra paperwork for a US order.
• Some categories run on quota. Sugar and, at times, wheat and non-basmati rice have faced export limits, so timing matters when you place a bulk order.
• Certifications open doors. ISO 22000, HACCP, and organic marks such as Jaivik Bharat or USDA Organic can shift a buyer’s decision, especially in Western markets.

Working With an Export Partner Instead of Going It Alone

Buying Indian agricultural products sounds easy. Get a supplier, fix a price and ship goods. However, it involves tracking down quality certifications, verifying a mill’s or farm’s actual production capabilities, booking the correct shipping container, and ensuring all paperwork is ready before the product even arrives at port.

That’s why you need a trade partner. At Srindhya Global, we supply and export Indian agro commodities and food products such as rice, spices, edible oils, pulses and processed foods to wholesale importers and distributors in the GCC, Southeast Asia, Africa and more. Our team works on supplier verification, shipping documentation and freight logistics so you can worry less about tracking down paper work and more about growing your business. If you require more than just food products, Srindhya Global imports pharmaceuticals, chemicals, marble and granite, and wooden products. We source these goods from verified Indian manufacturers as well.

Wrapping Up

While rice, marine products and spices account for the largest dollar value in agricultural exports from India, cotton, sugar, coffee, fruits and increasingly organic and processed food segment cater to a basket that is exported to reach well over 150 countries. Sourcing from this basket can be less daunting for any buyer if you have a partner who understands the processes involved including documentation requirements, quality inspections and shipping protocols.