India’s agricultural export promotion is undergoing a strategic shift from traditional cereal-centric exports toward value-added products and niche markets, according to an official from the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). The move, driven over the past decade, has helped the country maintain agriculture exports despite periodic bans on key items like rice and wheat.
Diversification strategy
“India’s agri exports have historically been concentrated in rice, wheat and cereals and these commodities are vulnerable to domestic food security pressures. There have been periodic policy interventions including curbs and prohibition on shipments which create volatility in export earnings,” an official told BusinessLine. The government’s agri export promotion body APEDA has been actively promoting high-potential products internationally over the past decade.
Product expansion
The number of products exported at the HS 8-digit level grew from 298 in FY2014–15 to 438 in FY2025–26, the official added. This expansion included greater diversification into niche and emerging destinations worldwide.
Value-added growth
The share of processed and value-added products has grown steadily in the past few years. “The three-way diversification — products, markets and value addition, has made India’s agri export sector more resilient and globally competitive,” the official said.
While rice exports were banned twice by India since the global food price spiral in 2008, wheat exports have been partially opened up after a gap of nearly four years with quantitative limits and export permits.
Rice export data
According to APEDA data, India’s rice export in the 2025-26 fiscal was 21.57 million tonnes (mt) worth $11.54 billion, against 20.19 mt worth $12.47 billion in 2024-25 due to lower realisation. In April 2026, rice shipments were 2.04 mt (valued at $1.01 billion), as against 1.88 mt (worth $1.08 billion) in the corresponding period a year ago.
Commerce ministry data show rice exports in terms of value were $1.02 billion in May 2026, which is 5 per cent more than $967 million in the year-ago period.
Basmati export by India in April 2026 was 474,091 tonnes worth $436.01 million. In 2025-26 fiscal, exports of Basmati rice were 6.52 mt worth $5.67 billion. For non-Basmati rice, exports were 15.04 mt worth $5.86 billion in the last fiscal.
Monthly export performance (May 2026 vs May 2025)
| Category | May 2025 (million $) | May 2026 (million $) | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine Products | 730 | 728 | -0.3% |
| Spices | 403 | 387 | -4.0% |
| Fruits And Vegetables | 309 | 288 | -6.8% |
| Oilseeds | 103 | 94 | -8.7% |
| Tea | 66 | 56 | -15.2% |
| Meat, Dairy and Poultry Products | 442 | 630 | +42.5% |
| Cereal Preparations and Miscellaneous Processed Item | 265 | 277 | +4.5% |
| Coffee | 201 | 209 | +4.0% |
| Oilmeals | 89 | 111 | +24.7% |
Several categories registered higher exports in May 2026 compared to the same month last year. Meat, Dairy and Poultry Products jumped from $442 million to $630 million, while Oilmeals rose from $89 million to $111 million. Cereal Preparations and Miscellaneous Processed Items increased from $265 million to $277 million, and Coffee edged up from $201 million to $209 million.
The consistent growth in value-added product categories underscores the success of APEDA’s diversification strategy. For importers and exporters, this shift opens avenues for sourcing higher-value Indian agri products beyond traditional bulk commodities, potentially reducing exposure to volatile domestic policy interventions.
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