BIRC 2026 Draws 4,600+ Global Buyers Ahead of Oct 23 Opening

19 Oct 2026, 07:32 by Vinay Kakkad · KalingaTV

New Delhi: India’s rice sector is setting up an extensive commercial push this week as international demand converges on New Delhi. Ahead of the opening of the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) 2026, scheduled to run from October 23 to 25 at Bharat Mandapam, organizers have confirmed 2,038 pre-arranged business-to-business meetings designed to link Indian suppliers with global purchasers.

As reported by ANI, The three-day gathering, organized by the Indian Rice Exporters’ Federation (IREF), has drawn 4,649 buyer registrations representing more than 150 countries. Demand for commercial floor space has also matched the buyer turnout: for the second straight year, the exhibition arena has completely sold out, featuring more than 180 participating companies.

Procurement delegations have enrolled from key importing territories across Africa and the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Nigeria, Benin, and South Africa. Direct one-to-one business sessions during the event will be coordinated by EY to facilitate commercial contracts between domestic millers and overseas accounts.

A defining feature of this year’s convention is its widespread domestic footprint alongside external interest. Dev Garg, National Vice President of the IREF, pointed out that regional involvement across the country is expanding alongside overseas participation, observing that state-by-state data shows close to 91 per cent of domestic registrations originate from outside Delhi.

Beyond transactional deal-making, the conference agenda includes an analytical track aimed at forecasting trading environments for 2027. Nine specialized knowledge sessions scheduled across October 23 and 24 will tackle core structural themes across the value chain, ranging from export payments, ocean freight rates, and insurance liabilities to statutory policies, compliance standards, and value-added derivative grains.

The analytical centerpiece begins with an inaugural session titled “Global Rice Demand and Supply Outlook 2027: Price Crash or New Bull Run?”, featuring market strategists from S&P Global, BigMint, EY, and IREF who will evaluate divergent pricing paths under various global scenarios. Organizers will also release a dedicated study detailing the top 10 rice markets to watch in 2027, measuring potential destinations for both basmati and non-basmati varieties against pricing benchmarks, competitive pressure, trade access, and settlement risks.

The forthcoming gathering seeks to expand upon the commercial benchmarks established during the inaugural 2025 edition. That debut summit drew 10,854 attendees, including 1,083 foreign buyers from over 90 jurisdictions. A post-event audit by EY calculated that the 2025 conference yielded Rs 33,453 crore in verified commercial commitments, representing nearly 8.63 million tonnes of contracted grain—a baseline the IREF expects to surpass as it deepens India’s integration with international rice corridors.