India’s rice export potential is expected to rise sharply with new global markets worth ₹1.17 lakh crore likely to open up, following a strategic partnership between the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC 2025). The Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) announced that IRRI’s South Asia Regional Centre (ISARC) in Varanasi will serve as the Research and Knowledge Partner for the event, to be held on October 30–31, 2025, at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi. The collaboration aims to showcase the diversity, quality, and global culinary potential of Indian rice, enabling it to enter non-traditional markets and compete with leading rice-exporting nations. IREF estimates that in the top 30 potential destinations, India could capture an export opportunity of ₹1.17 lakh crore, currently dominated by rival countries.