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India’s burgeoning rice exports and the challenges that lie ahead
From the paddy field to the global plate, India’s rice story is no longer merely agricultural—it is an economic success story. I wish to draw attention to the remarkable surge in India’s rice exports to 26 priority markets, which have outstripped the three-year average during November 2025–March 2026.
According to the report, exports to these markets totalled Rs 23,476 crore, involving 4.79 million tonnes of rice. Particularly encouraging is the robust performance in the UAE, UK, Belgium, Germany, France, Mexico, Kenya and several African destinations. Such diversification is significant because it can insulate Indian exporters from the vagaries of individual markets. The expansion of both Basmati and non-Basmati exports also indicates growing international confidence in Indian rice.
However, we must not rest on our laurels. India should leverage this momentum by improving grain quality, strengthening certification, upgrading storage and logistics, and curbing post-harvest losses. Exporters must also adapt to evolving consumer preferences and comply with stringent international standards. The upcoming Bharat International Rice Conference can serve as a springboard for forging new partnerships and opening up untapped markets.
Moreover, policymakers should help small farmers plug into the export ecosystem through better infrastructure, market intelligence and remunerative prices. A concerted effort can turn the present export boom into a durable economic dividend. India has opened the door to a larger global rice market; now it must walk the extra mile to remain a trusted supplier. The world is hungry for Indian rice — let us ensure that India is ready to serve it.
Dipen Gogoi,
Teok, Jorhat
Fingers crossed
After the resignation of Pradyut Bordoloi, the former Congress MP from the Nagaon parliamentary constituency who later joined the BJP and won in the last assembly election, the Nagaon parliamentary seat has become vacant. Hectic political activities are already on among Congress and BJP. Previously, the contest was between Congress and BJP, but with AIUDF now participating, it has become a triangular contest. AIUDF, in the meantime, has already announced their candidate, and Congress too has started receiving applications whose names are already published. BJP, so far, has not announced the name of its candidate, though Congress has already announced the name of the BJP candidate, who until this date happens to be the DC of Nagaon, thus relieving BJP from its responsibilities for selecting its candidate.
With the joining of AIUDF into the fray, it will no doubt have some impact on the linguistic minority votes, which are the main vote banks of Congress, thus making the job for Congress a bit tougher. The end result will be intriguing.
We are eagerly anticipating the outcome.
Dr Ashim Chowdhury,
Guwahati.
Indo-China meet
The recent Indo-China meet has come at the eve of a changing world order, when the US has been relentlessly trying to hold sway over the global economy through sanctions, tariffs and wars where threats failed to yield results. From alliances to policies, constrained supply chains and the oil crisis, due to the ongoing West Asia war, have led to recallibration of everything. Today nations are forced to mend their relationship and put the economic interest first instead of ego. At this critical juncture, the meeting between India and China to resolve the long-standing boundary standoffs is highly significant. The 25 rounds of Special Representative talks held between India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on 25 Aug in Beijing have clearly revealed that both nations are now prioritising cooperative diplomacy over hostility. The talks not only emphasised border questions but also reached a consensus on better military communication, prompt conflict resolution, cross-border trade, pilgrimage issues, and clarity on LAC perception, all of which had previously remained unsettled between India and China. The agreement on establishing two additional military hotlines in the eastern and middle sectors discloses both countries' understanding of the importance of communication clarity for border management.
History says that the relation between the two nations was never a serene one. But in the age of multilateralism, nations cannot continue suspicion and limited dialogue for long if broader issues are to be settled permanently. India has always maintained its border commitments with utmost honesty, but it was China which violated the terms through furtive aggression and unjustified assertions every time. It is true that since the disengagement agreement took place in September 2024, there has been no major skirmish along the Indo-China border. But disengagement should not be confused as permanent de-escalation. In today's world, it is not always necessary to fight wars with weapons. Every mega construction done secretly across the border, during the neutral time, is also an indication that war is continuing without creating noise.
So though the relations between the two nations are now driven by pragmatism, India should still remain cautious. India is the hub of young talents, generic medicines, IT services, hardware development and digital public infrastructure. China is known for its manufacturing capabilities and rare earth possession. If the economic potential of these two nations merges, then they can counter the Western hegemony as a separate bloc. We hope that the consensus reached today will surely reduce the rancour and build better ties between the two Asian giants.
Kabir Ahmed Saikia
Rajabari, Jorhat