Top Rice Exporting Companies in India

India ships more rice than any other country on earth, by a wide margin. In FY 2024-25 alone, the country exported 20.1 million tonnes of rice worth $12.95 billion to more than 172 countries, a figure that puts India’s share of global rice trade above 40%. Behind that number sits a small group of companies, some over a century old, others built in the past two decades, that actually move the grain from Indian mills to dinner tables around the world.

This guide walks through the top rice exporting companies in India, what they specialize in, and where they ship, based on trade data, company filings, and APEDA records. Whether you’re a buyer sourcing rice for the first time or just curious who’s behind the brand on your kitchen shelf, this breaks it down clearly.

India’s Rice Export Numbers at a Glance

Before naming names, it helps to see the scale these companies operate at.

• Total export value (FY 2024-25): $12.95 billion, up from $8.82 billion in 2020-21, a compound annual growth rate of 7.18%
• Total export volume (FY 2024-25): 20.1 million tonnes, shipped to over 172 countries
• Basmati exports: Roughly 5.9 million tonnes valued near $5.8 billion, led by demand in the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S.
• Non-basmati exports: Around 14 million tonnes, dominated by parboiled and white rice varieties headed to Africa, Bangladesh, and Southeast Asia
• Top destination countries: Saudi Arabia, Benin, Iraq, Iran, Guinea, Cote D’Ivoire, UAE, and Togo

With that scale in mind, here are the companies driving India’s position as the world’s largest rice exporter.

Top Rice Exporting Companies in India

1. Srindhya Global

Srindhya Global is an India-based B2B trading and export company focused on connecting international buyers with reliable Indian manufacturers. The company supplies products across pharmaceuticals, FMCG and agro products, chemicals, and agricultural products, including rice, edible oils, spices, pulses, APIs, excipients, fertilisers, and agrochemicals.

With a compliance-first approach, Srindhya Global manages sourcing, quality assurance, documentation, logistics, customs clearance, and delivery, helping international buyers simplify cross-border procurement. The company currently serves buyers across 10+ countries, with trade networks spanning the GCC, Southeast Asia, and Africa, while also expanding into the UK and US markets.

2. LT Foods Limited (Daawat)

LT Foods runs the Daawat brand, one of India Gate’s closest rivals in the premium basmati space. The company has built a global presence with manufacturing and packaging operations not just in India but in the U.S. and Europe as well, which lets it serve certain Western markets with locally packed product. LT Foods also owns Royal, a basmati brand well known in North America, giving the company a two-brand strategy across price tiers and geographies.

3. Shri Lal Mahal Group

Established in 1907, Shri Lal Mahal is one of India’s oldest rice trading houses. What began as a regional trading business grew into a full-scale export operation covering both basmati and non-basmati rice. The company’s longevity in the trade gives it deep relationships with mills and farmers across India’s main growing belts, and it continues to ship both premium and bulk grain to buyers across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

4. DD International Private Limited

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Amritsar, Punjab, DD International is one of the largest exporters of premium basmati rice, marketed under brands including Golden Grain. The company ships to Europe, the United Kingdom, Iraq, and markets across Asia and Africa, and it accounted for roughly 13.12% of India’s total rice exports in February 2025 alone, a sign of just how much volume the company moves in a single month.

5. Olam Agri India Private Limited

Olam Agri is one of the most diversified agri-commodity companies operating in India, handling everything from rice to edible oils and animal feed ingredients. On the rice side, the company works with a large network of farmers and millers to source both basmati and non-basmati grain, supplying buyers across Australia, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Olam Agri’s scale, with operations spanning more than 30 countries, makes it a bulk-volume player rather than a boutique brand exporter.

6. ITC Limited

Better known in India for its FMCG and hospitality businesses, ITC also runs a sizable agri-export arm that includes rice. The company sources and processes rice through its network of procurement hubs and exports both branded and bulk quantities. ITC’s scale and existing global distribution relationships across other product categories give it an advantage in opening new rice markets quickly.

7. Adani Wilmar Limited

Adani Wilmar built its reputation primarily in edible oils under the Fortune brand, but the company has expanded into rice exports as part of a broader food business strategy. Its existing port and logistics infrastructure, tied to the Adani Group’s wider port operations, gives it a logistical edge for bulk shipments, particularly to Middle East and African destinations.

8. Kohinoor Foods Limited

Kohinoor has built a long-standing reputation in the basmati rice category, with a product line that spans traditional aged basmati through to ready-to-eat rice products. The company exports to a wide set of markets and has worked to diversify its offering beyond raw grain into value-added, packaged rice products, a segment that is slowly growing within India’s overall rice export mix.

9. Chaman Lal Setia Exports (Kohinoor’s competitor, maker of Maharani brand)

Chaman Lal Setia Exports, known for its Maharani brand, is a Punjab-based basmati specialist that has built a strong presence in export markets over several decades. The company focuses heavily on quality-graded basmati and has invested in modern milling infrastructure to meet the aging and processing standards that premium buyers expect.

10. Amira Nature Foods

Amira has positioned itself as a premium basmati exporter with a strong footprint in North America and the Middle East. The company markets aged, long-grain basmati under its own brand and has built partnerships with retail chains abroad, giving it consistent shelf presence rather than relying purely on bulk trade contracts.

Basmati vs. Non-Basmati: Why the Split Matters

Understanding these companies—and the role of B2B trading companies in India—means understanding the two very different markets they serve.

Basmati rice is the premium, aromatic, long-grain category. India accounts for around 75% of global basmati production, and the segment reached record export levels, close to 5.9 million tonnes, in the most recent fiscal year. Basmati buyers in the Middle East, Europe, and the U.S. pay a real premium for aging, aroma, and grain length, which is why companies like KRBL, LT Foods, and Amira invest heavily in branding and quality control.

Non-basmati rice, which includes parboiled rice, white rice, and broken rice, is the volume category. It made up the bulk of India’s rice exports by tonnage in FY 2024-25, with parboiled rice alone accounting for over 90 lakh tonnes. Buyers in Africa and Southeast Asia drive much of this demand, prioritizing price, consistent quality, and reliable supply over consumer-facing branding.

This is where B2B trading companies in India can play an important role. Instead of international buyers dealing with multiple manufacturers, mills, processors and exporters separately, a B2B trading company can help connect buyers with suitable Indian suppliers based on their required product specifications, volume, quality standards, packaging, certifications and destination-market requirements. For international buyers sourcing rice and other agricultural or processed food products from India, this can simplify supplier discovery and procurement.

The removal of India’s minimum export price on basmati rice and the lifting of non-basmati white rice export restrictions in September 2024 opened up both segments further, which is a major reason export volumes jumped sharply in the most recent fiscal year.

For international buyers, the opportunity is therefore not simply about finding the lowest-priced rice supplier. It is about finding a reliable Indian B2B trading and sourcing partner that can consistently match the buyer’s quality, volume, documentation, packaging and delivery requirements.

What to Look For When Sourcing Rice from India

If you’re a buyer trying to work with an Indian rice exporter directly, a few practical points matter more than brand recognition alone:

1. APEDA registration is the starting point, not the whole picture. Every legitimate exporter needs it, but ask for shipment history and references from buyers in your specific region.
2. Grain specifications need to be exact. Length, aging period, broken percentage, and moisture content all affect price and end use, so get these in writing before confirming an order.
3. Export destination affects documentation. The Middle East, EU, and U.S. all apply different pesticide residue limits and phytosanitary requirements, so confirm your supplier has cleared shipments to your specific market before, not just to a nearby one.
4. Price volatility follows policy changes. Indian rice export prices have moved sharply in response to government policy shifts on minimum export prices and export bans over the past few years, so build flexibility into procurement contracts where possible.
5. Port and logistics access matter for lead times. Exporters based near major ports like Kandla, Mundra, or JNPT generally offer shorter transit windows to Gulf and African destinations.

Sourcing partners can help buyers navigate these steps without needing an in-house trade compliance team. Srindhya Global works with international B2B buyers across agricultural and food product categories, including rice, handling supplier verification, documentation, and freight coordination so buyers can focus on their own operations rather than customs paperwork. For companies new to importing from India, this kind of support often shortens the learning curve considerably.

The Road Ahead for India’s Rice Exporters

India’s agricultural and processed food exports are gaining momentum, with rice remaining one of the country’s key export commodities. Rice export volumes are projected to grow by more than 10% in FY 2025-26, according to APEDA Chairman Abhishek Dev, driven by strong overseas demand and the recent easing of export restrictions. The government has also identified 26 new strategic markets, collectively worth $20.1 billion in annual rice imports, where India currently holds a small market share, including the Philippines.

Beyond rice, this growth is creating opportunities across India’s broader agricultural and processed food export sector, including fruits and vegetables, spices, cereals, pulses, processed foods, ready-to-eat products, dairy products, meat products and other value-added food categories.

For companies on this list, the opportunity means continued investment in processing capacity, quality certification, packaging, supply-chain capabilities and new-market entry. For international buyers, it means greater access to Indian agricultural commodities and processed food products, along with increased competition among exporters—which can translate into better pricing, product variety and service, provided buyers know which suppliers actually match their volume, quality and compliance requirements.

For importers and distributors looking to source from India, the key is not simply finding an exporter. It is finding a supplier with the right product specifications, certifications, production capacity, packaging standards and export experience for the target market.