Where Rice Is Grown
Rice grows wherever there is plenty of water. West Bengal is among the largest producers and grows three crops a year (aus, aman and boro). Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana grow large kharif crops, most of which Punjab and Haryana sell to FCI. In the south, the Godavari and Krishna deltas of Andhra Pradesh, the irrigated tracts of Telangana and the Cauvery delta of Tamil Nadu grow both kharif and rabi crops. Odisha, Chhattisgarh (called the rice bowl of India), Bihar and Assam complete the picture.
| State | Known for |
|---|---|
| West Bengal | Among the largest producers; three crops; Gobindobhog and other aromatic short-grain rice |
| Punjab and Haryana | PR-126 and other high-yield paddy, mostly sold to FCI |
| Andhra Pradesh | Godavari and Krishna deltas; Sona Masuri and BPT 5204; Kakinada exports |
| Telangana | Large paddy procurement; Sona Masuri and parboiled rice |
| Chhattisgarh | "Rice bowl of India"; large procurement and many rice mills |
| Odisha | Major kharif producer; growing exports |
| Tamil Nadu | Cauvery delta (Thanjavur); Ponni rice |
| Karnataka | Sona Masuri, Rajamudi and other southern varieties |
How Rice Is Grown and Processed
Most rice is grown by transplanting nursery seedlings into puddled, flooded fields, although direct-seeded rice (DSR) is spreading to save water and labour. After harvest, paddy goes to rice mills. In raw milling the husk and bran are removed to give white rice. In parboiling, common in the east and south, paddy is soaked, steamed and dried before milling, which makes the grain harder and more nutritious. Parboiled rice is in high demand in Africa and the Gulf. Mills sell the bran to oil extraction plants and the husk as boiler fuel.
The rice mill is the centre of the trade. In states with large procurement, many mills work for the government under custom milling: they receive government paddy, mill it and deliver rice back to FCI.
Season Calendar
Kharif rice
Transplanted June–August, harvested October–December. This is the main crop everywhere.Rabi (dalua / boro) rice
Grown in the south and east from November–December, harvested March–May.Export season
Year-round from mills and ports, with peak paddy arrivals from October.Government Procurement
Paddy has an MSP announced before each kharif season. FCI and state agencies buy paddy in Punjab, Haryana, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and other states, have it custom-milled, and use the rice for the public distribution system. Surplus rice is sold to traders and states through OMSS auctions, and FCI rice has also been supplied to distilleries for ethanol.
- Food Corporation of India (FCI)Paddy procurement, custom milling and OMSS rice salesAboutExplore
- Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (Markfed)Paddy procurement in ChhattisgarhAboutExplore
- Telangana State Civil Supplies CorporationPaddy procurement in TelanganaAboutExplore
Big Rice Exporters (Non-Basmati)
India restricted non-basmati white rice exports in 2023 and lifted those curbs in 2024; broken rice exports were allowed again in 2025. The leading exporters, by trade-data rankings, include the following.
- Satyam Balajee Rice Industries Pvt LtdAmong India's largest non-basmati and parboiled rice exportersAboutExplore
- Olam Agri India Pvt LtdGurugram · rice sourcing and exportAboutExplore
- Bagadiya Brothers Pvt LtdLarge rice exporterAboutExplore
- Louis Dreyfus Company India Pvt LtdRice trading and exportAboutExplore
- HRMM Agro Overseas Pvt LtdSaharanpur · rice exporterAboutExplore
- Pattabhi Agro Foods Pvt LtdAndhra Pradesh · parboiled and raw rice exporterAboutExplore
- Sri Lalitha Enterprises Industries Pvt LtdPeddapuram, Andhra Pradesh · rice exporterAboutExplore
- Shri Sainath Industry Pvt LtdRaipur, Chhattisgarh · rice exporterAboutExplore
- Shah Nanji Nagsi Exports Pvt LtdNagpur · rice and agri exporterAboutExplore
- Ruhatiya Spinners Pvt LtdAkola · agri exports including riceAboutExplore
Kakinada and Other Rice Ports
Kakinada in Andhra Pradesh is one of the busiest rice-export ports, handling bulk and bagged rice from Andhra, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. Visakhapatnam, Kolkata–Haldia, Paradip, Kandla and JNPT also ship large volumes.
- Kakinada PortLeading rice export portAboutExplore
- The Rice Exporters Association and AIREATrade bodies of rice exportersAboutExplore
Online and Packaged Rice
- ITC LtdRice sourcing; packaged foodsAboutExplore
- AWL Agri Business LtdFortune rice rangeAboutExplore
- Pro Nature Organic Foods Pvt LtdOrganic riceAboutExplore
- BigBasket (Supermarket Grocery Supplies Pvt Ltd)Online groceryAboutExplore
Modern Technology
DSR seed drills, paddy transplanting machines, drone spraying, solar-dried parboiling plants, colour sorters and the government's fortified rice programme are reshaping the rice trade. Research institutes in Hyderabad and Cuttack release new varieties every year.
- ICAR – Indian Institute of Rice Research (IIRR)HyderabadAboutExplore
- ICAR – National Rice Research Institute (NRRI)CuttackAboutExplore
- Garuda Aerospace Pvt LtdChennai · spraying drones for paddyAboutExplore
GI-Tag Rice
India has many GI-tagged rices besides basmati, including Gobindobhog (West Bengal), Kalanamak (eastern UP), Joha (Assam), Chak-Hao black rice (Manipur), Navara and Palakkadan Matta (Kerala) and Wayanad Gandhakasala.
Non-Basmati Rice by State
Tap a state for its districts, markets, government buying and buyers.
Processed Products
GI-Tagged Products
Related: Wheat · Basmati Rice · Non-Basmati Rice · Maize · Bajra · Jowar · Ragi · Barley · Soils.in for farmer help · FoodProcessingIndustries.in
Names are listed for reference only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. The About and Explore buttons open Google in a new tab; results there are generated by Google and third parties, not by this site. Prices, MSP, export rules and schemes change often. Nothing here is financial, legal or purchasing advice. Full disclaimer