New Delhi, Aug. 26 -- India's rice exports to 26 priority markets rose 1.1 per cent in value and 5.6 per cent in volume during November 2025-March 2026, despite challenges including varying demand conditions, pricing pressures, freight costs and import policies, according to an analysis by the Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF).

Rice exports to the 26-market basket reached Rs 23,476 crore, with volumes touching 4.79 million tonnes during the five-month period, exceeding the average for the corresponding November-March period of the preceding three years. Eleven of the 26 target countries recorded year-on-year growth in both export value and volume.

The strongest growth was recorded in the UAE, where rice export value increased 65 p...