New Delhi: India must move beyond its traditional focus on increasing rice production and concentrate on value addition, quality improvement and processed food exports to capture greater opportunities in international markets, Union Food Processing Industries Minister Chirag Paswan said on Friday.
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Addressing the second Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2026, organised by the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) and the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), Paswan said India’s strong rice production base must now translate into higher economic value across the supply chain.
He emphasised the need for greater investment in processing infrastructure, product innovation, quality certification, traceability, sustainability and branding.
Paswan said India’s agricultural priorities have undergone a fundamental transformation since independence.
While the initial challenge was overcoming food shortages and ensuring adequate production, the country’s growing agricultural capacity now provides an opportunity to focus on higher-value products and global competitiveness.
“The Green Revolution helped India overcome food deficits. Today, with strong production capacity, we must focus on processing, quality, branding, traceability, sustainability and value addition,” he said.
The minister stressed that the entire rice value chain, from paddy cultivation to the final consumer, offers considerable scope for technological improvement and commercial expansion.
Highlighting India’s dominant position in international rice markets, Paswan said the country accounts for nearly 40 percent of global rice trade.
“This gives India both a major responsibility and a major opportunity,” he said.
The minister called for improving export competitiveness, adopting international quality standards and strengthening cooperation with trading partners.
However, India’s substantial share of global rice exports also highlights the importance of moving beyond bulk commodity shipments towards branded, processed and premium rice products that can generate greater returns for exporters and farmers.
Linking the sector’s growth to the government’s Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, Paswan said food processing has significant untapped potential to contribute to industrial expansion, employment generation and rural prosperity.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of positioning India as a global food basket requires the country not only to meet domestic demand but also to contribute meaningfully to global food security.
“Rice will be central to this ambition,” Paswan said.
The Ministry of Food Processing Industries, he added, is working through various schemes to strengthen processing infrastructure, encourage innovation and promote value-added exports.
Minister calls for domestic manufacturing of rice-processing machinery
Referring to the Prime Minister’s ‘Saptadhara’ framework for national development, Paswan identified agriculture and manufacturing as two critical pillars for strengthening the rice industry.
He called for reducing dependence on imported machinery and technologies used across the rice value chain, including cultivation equipment and processing systems.
Greater domestic manufacturing capabilities, he said, would help improve productivity, reduce costs and strengthen India’s agricultural processing industry.
Paswan also underlined the importance of connecting agricultural production with industrial activity to create employment opportunities and improve farmers’ incomes.
The minister said the government is pursuing trade reforms and expanding international economic partnerships to improve market access for Indian businesses.
“We are expanding trade agreements, including free trade agreements, to promote the exchange of goods, services, technology and best practices,” he said.
According to Paswan, such agreements can help Indian exporters access new markets while facilitating technology transfers and cooperation in agricultural processing.
He also assured international delegates of the government’s commitment to improving the business environment.
“I assure all international delegates that the government is committed to creating a seamless, predictable and business-friendly environment. When industry grows, the nation grows with it,” he said.
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The minister’s remarks underline a broader challenge facing India’s agricultural economy: translating high production and export volumes into greater value for farmers, processors and exporters.
While India has established itself as a dominant supplier in global rice markets, expanding its presence in processed and premium products will require stronger quality infrastructure, modern milling facilities, reliable traceability systems and internationally competitive branding.
The transition will also depend on ensuring that the benefits of value addition reach farmers rather than remaining concentrated among processors and exporters.
For India, the next phase of growth in the rice sector will be measured not merely by how much rice it produces and exports, but by how much value it creates from every tonne.
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