Key Highlights
- India exported Basmati rice to 154 countries in FY2024-25.
- Saudi Arabia was India's largest Basmati rice buyer.
- Iraq and Iran were the next biggest markets.
- Eight of the top 10 buyers are in the Gulf or wider West Asia.
- The US and UK remain strong markets for Indian Basmati.
- UAE is both a major consumer market and a regional trading hub.
- Buyers look for specific varieties, grain quality, ageing and packing.
- The right buyer depends on grade, quantity, price and shipment terms.
Introduction:
If you follow the basmati rice trade for a while, one thing becomes pretty clear. The Middle East is where a huge part of the business happens.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran have been among India's biggest buyers for years. The UAE, Yemen, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar are also regular markets. Then there is the US and the UK, where Indian basmati has built a strong customer base of its own.
So, if you are looking for the Top 10 basmati rice importers, this is a good place to start.
What do numbers tell about basmati rice exports from India?
Look at the numbers and it becomes pretty clear that basmati is no longer just another item in India's agricultural export basket. In 2024-25, India shipped roughly 60.65 lakh tonnes of basmati rice overseas, bringing in close to ₹50,312 crore, or about US$5.87 billion. And this wasn't trade concentrated in a handful of markets. Indian basmati reached 154 countries during the year.
These figures tell us something that a simple export table doesn't. There is a remarkably persistent global demand for Indian basmati, and it stretches across very different markets and consumer preferences. From the Gulf to the US, the Indian grain has managed to hold on to a place that few agricultural products can claim so comfortably. That, more than the headline export number itself, is what makes India's basmati trade worth paying attention to.
Top 10 Basmati Rice Importers from India
Here is the full FY2024-25 list. The numbers are worth looking at because the gap between the biggest markets and the rest is quite noticeable.
| Rank | Country | Basmati Rice Imported from India |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Saudi Arabia | 11.73 lakh tonnes |
| 2 | Iraq | 9.05 lakh tonnes |
| 3 | Iran | 8.55 lakh tonnes |
| 4 | Yemen | 3.92 lakh tonnes |
| 5 | UAE | 3.89 lakh tonnes |
| 6 | United States | 2.74 lakh tonnes |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 1.80 lakh tonnes |
| 8 | Kuwait | 1.75 lakh tonnes |
| 9 | Oman | 1.49 lakh tonnes |
| 10 | Qatar | 1.24 lakh tonnes |
Saudi Arabia alone bought more basmati than the entire bottom half of this list combined. Iraq and Iran are not far behind either. The three countries together took about 29.3 lakh tonnes.
And then comes the interesting part: eight of the ten biggest destinations are in the Gulf or wider West Asian region.
1. Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is the clear leader.
Indian exporters sent around 11.73 lakh tonnes of basmati rice to Saudi Arabia in FY2024-25 , worth approximately ₹10,190.73 crore.
That is indeed a big number, but it is worth noting that the wider rice trade makes the relationship look even bigger. India exported about 14.06 lakh tonnes of rice overall to Saudi Arabia in the year 2024. This was valued at nearly 1.40 billion U.S. dollars. In fact, India was by far the largest rice supplier to the country.
There is already a mature market here. Importers know Indian rice, distributors know the product and consumers are familiar with basmati.
For an Indian exporter, that removes one of the difficult parts of entering a new country. You are not starting from zero.
2. Iraq
Iraq is another market that deserves serious attention.
During FY2024-25, it bought around 9.05 lakh tonnes of Indian basmati rice , worth roughly ₹7,201 crore.
The broader rice numbers are strong as well. India exported about 9.46 lakh tonnes of rice to Iraq in 2024 , worth around US$929 million. Thailand was another major supplier, so Indian exporters are not operating without competition here.
Still, look at the volume. It tells you why Iraq keeps appearing near the top whenever people discuss the major basmati rice importers.
The market is large enough to matter to practically any serious Indian rice exporter.
3. Iran
Iran bought about 8.55 lakh tonnes of Indian basmati rice in FY2024-25 , putting it third in the ranking. The export value was around ₹6,374 crore.
APEDA puts Iran's share of India's basmati export market at 12.67% for 2024-25.
There is plenty of demand here. However, Iran is also a market where the commercial side needs more attention than the headline volume might suggest.
Payment arrangements, currency movements and changing trade conditions can affect a transaction. An exporter may have a buyer ready to purchase, but that does not automatically mean the shipment will be as straightforward as one going to another market.
That is simply part of doing business in this market.
4. Yemen
Yemen may not be the first country that comes to mind when you think about major rice markets, but the numbers are hard to ignore.
Indian exporters shipped about 3.92 lakh tonnes of basmati rice to Yemen in the financial year 2024-25 which was roughly ₹3,038.56 crore.
India's wider rice exports to Yemen were also substantial in 2024, at around 4.35 lakh tonnes and US$398 million.
This is one market that should not be overlooked simply because it gets less attention in general trade discussions for anyone building a list of Top 10 buyers of basmati rice,
5. United Arab Emirates
The UAE is a little different.
It is obviously a large consumer market, but it is also a major trading centre. Rice entering the UAE can move through wholesalers, distributors and food businesses serving other parts of the Gulf.
India exported about 3.89 lakh tonnes of basmati rice to the UAE in FY2024-25 , worth approximately ₹3,089 crore.
The broader rice trade is sizable too. India exported nearly 5.98 lakh tonnes of rice to the UAE in 2024 , valued at about US$488 million.
This is one reason the UAE is attractive to exporters. A relationship with one importer may eventually lead to business beyond the UAE itself.
6. United States
Now we move away from the traditional Gulf markets.
The US imported around 2.74 lakh tonnes of Indian basmati rice in FY2024-25, with export value at roughly ₹2,849 crore.
It is easy to look at that number and think the US is simply another large rice destination. It isn't quite that simple.
Indian basmati has a very established customer base there, including South Asian households, grocery stores, restaurants, distributors and foodservice businesses.
India's wider rice exports to the US reached about 3.20 lakh tonnes in 2024 , worth around US$380 million.
For premium and branded basmati, the US can be particularly interesting. The market may not buy as much as Saudi Arabia, but volume isn't the only thing that matters in a food business.
7. United Kingdom
It's quite easy to miss the UK when looking at India's biggest basmati rice export markets. But guess what? It imported a massive 1.80 lakh tonnes of Indian basmati rice in the financial year 2024-25 . This was worth about ₹1,613 crore.
The wider rice trade tells a similar story. India exported around 1.88 lakh tonnes of semi-milled or wholly milled rice to the UK in 2024 , valued at nearly US$199 million.
The UK has had Indian and South Asian rice in its food market for decades. Walk into a supermarket or an Asian grocery store there and basmati is hardly an unfamiliar product.
That matters.
An exporter entering the UK does not have to spend years explaining what the product is. The market already understands it.
8. Kuwait
Kuwait bought around 1.75 lakh tonnes of Indian basmati rice in FY2024-25 , worth roughly ₹1,519 crore.
The country is also a sizeable buyer of Indian rice more generally. In 2024, India supplied Kuwait with around 2.11 lakh tonnes of rice, worth approximately US$209 million.
Kuwait may look small beside Saudi Arabia, but that comparison can be a little misleading. 1.75 lakh tonnes going into one market is still a substantial pool of demand for an individual exporter.
9. Oman
Oman imported about 1.49 lakh tonnes of Indian basmati rice in FY2024-25 , with exports worth around ₹1,223 crore.
India's total rice exports to Oman were higher, at roughly 2.25 lakh tonnes in 2024 , valued at about US$197 million.
There is another thing worth keeping in mind here. Oman sits comfortably within the wider Gulf trading network. Importers and distributors are already familiar with Indian agricultural products, including rice.
So it remains a fairly natural market for Indian suppliers.
10. Qatar
Qatar rounds off the list, with around 1.24 lakh tonnes of Indian basmati rice imported in FY2024-25 . The value was approximately ₹1,040 crore.
It is obviously smaller than the biggest markets above. But again, 1.24 lakh tonnes is not exactly a small requirement.
For exporters building a portfolio of leading basmati rice buyers , Qatar can make sense as part of a wider Gulf strategy rather than being viewed as a standalone market.
Why does the Middle East dominate basmati rice imports?
Look at the top five and the answer becomes fairly obvious.
Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, the UAE and Yemen together accounted for nearly half of India's basmati exports in FY2024-25. APEDA's figures put their individual shares at 20.25%, 14.30%, 12.67%, 6.13% and 6.03%.
Basmati has been part of the region's food culture for a long time. It is used at home, in restaurants, at weddings, in catering and in large gatherings.
There is also something less visible in the statistics: familiarity.
Buyers already know Indian basmati. Importers have established relationships with Indian mills and exporters. Distributors know which grades sell. Consumers know what they are buying. That sort of market does not develop overnight.
The Top 10 are not the only markets worth chasing
Here is where exporters should be a little careful.
A list of the Top 10 basmati rice importers is useful, but it should not become a list of ten countries and nothing else.
India exported basmati to 154 countries in FY2024-25. There are plenty of smaller markets outside this ranking, and some of them may be quite attractive for a supplier with the right product.
A buyer taking 500 tonnes of a premium grade can sometimes be more interesting than another buyer taking several thousand tonnes at a very low margin.
The export statistics don't always show that side of the business.
What do basmati rice buyers actually want?
This is where the discussion gets much more practical.
One importer may ask for 1121 basmati. Another may want 1509. Someone else could be looking for traditional basmati, steamed rice or parboiled rice.
Then come the details: grain length, broken percentage, moisture, ageing, aroma, packing and shelf life.
And these details can change from one market to another.
It is also worth checking the destination country's import requirements before the shipment is finalised. Food-safety rules, detailed labelling, quality certificates, inspections and minimum and maximum residue requirements are some of the aspects that can all affect whether a shipment clears smoothly or not.
APEDA maintains export requirements for rice by destination, which exporters can check before closing a deal.
The commercial side is just as important. How much does the buyer actually need? Which port? What payment terms? What kind of bags? When does the buyer want the cargo?
Finding a name on a list is easy.
Finding the right buyer for the exact rice you have available is the real job.
What does this mean for Indian basmati exporters?
The Gulf is likely to remain at the centre of the trade. There is simply too much established demand there for that to change overnight.
But the US and UK show something else. Indian basmati can build a strong market outside the traditional destinations as well.
And the ranking itself is not fixed. APEDA's latest 2025-26 figures show Saudi Arabia at 16.6% of India's basmati exports, Iran at 13.9%, Iraq at 11.2%, the UAE at 8.2%, Yemen at 5.7% and the US at 5.0%.
So, if you are an exporter, I would use the top 10 buyers of basmati rice as a starting map.
Start with the big markets because that is where the demand already exists. Then look a little further.
Sometimes the next good buyer isn't in the top ten at all.
For exporters and bulk buyers, platforms such as Tradologie can make that search easier by bringing suppliers and buyers from different markets into the same trading environment.
In the end, basmati is not difficult to sell simply because there are no buyers. There are plenty of them.
The harder part is finding the buyer who wants your grade, your quantity, your packing and your shipment terms — and is ready to do business.
Conclusion:
If you want to export basmati rice to global countries, it is important to understand which countries are the top importers of basmati. Understanding market demand, understanding which variety of rice they import, and positioning your business accordingly can help you become a successful bulk rice trader. For the best export and import opportunities of basmati rice, register as a seller on Tradologie.
Disclaimer
The trade figures, rankings, market shares and other information in this article are based on the sources and data available at the time of publication. Export volumes, values, market shares, regulations and buyer requirements may change. Exporters and buyers should independently verify current trade data, destination-country import requirements, quality standards, documentation and commercial terms before entering into a transaction.
