Indian Rice Exporters Federation

What Indian Rice Exporters Federation does

The Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) is a non-profit trade body founded in 1999 and formally registered as a non-profit company in August 2023, headquartered at 73 LGF, World Trade Centre, Barakhamba Avenue, Connaught Place, New Delhi, with 13 regional offices across India. It operates under the motto 'One Nation, One Trade, One Policy' (एक राष्ट्र, एक व्यापार, एक नीति) as the apex representative of India's rice export sector, serving 7,700+ member companies including rice exporters, millers, Custom House Agents (CHAs), packaging manufacturers, 9 trade associations, 3 chambers of commerce, 1 council, and 22 cooperative societies.

IREF's core service is advocacy, policy consultation, trade negotiation, and market access support delivered through direct engagement with government bodies including the Ministry of Commerce and APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority). It bridges farmers, millers, exporters, and policymakers, runs expert sessions for farmers, and participates in shaping contract registration mechanics (e.g., the ₹70/tonne Basmati Export Development Foundation levy and the ₹8/tonne non-basmati fee). The federation organizes the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC), secured India Partner Country status at Gulfood 2026, and facilitated India's capture of 53% of the EU's brown basmati market after Pakistan failed EU MRL standards. It also promoted India's first AI-based rice sorting system at BIRC 2025 as a showcase for member-driven technology adoption.

Revenue is generated primarily through membership fees and event activity, with specific pricing not publicly disclosed. IREF is governed by an Executive Committee drawing leadership from Olam Agri India, Adani Wilmar, Tata International, Reliance Retail Limited, KRIBHCO, Sun Cereal, Navya Foods, Emmsons International Ltd., and the Delhi Grain Merchant Association, with Dr. Prem Garg (Shri Lal Mahal Group) serving as National President and an Advisory Committee comprising retired senior bureaucrats and former APEDA chairmen providing policy and legal counsel.

Name

Indian Rice Exporters Federation

Legal name

Indian Rice Exporters Federation

Website

https://iref.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IREF is a non-profit apex trade body founded in 1999 that represents 7,700+ Indian rice exporters, millers, CHAs, and packaging manufacturers, providing policy advocacy, market access support, and trade negotiation services through its New Delhi headquarters and 13 regional offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Trade Association Services: IREF operates as a non-profit federation providing advocacy, policy consultation, trade negotiation services, and representation for Indian rice exporters. Revenue comes through membership fees from 7700+ member companies including exporters, millers, CHAs, and packaging manufacturers.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IREF is a non-profit trade federation that provides policy advocacy, market support, and representation services to Indian rice exporters. Its core offerings center on membership-based representation before government bodies (APEDA, Ministry of Commerce), trade negotiation support, regulatory compliance assistance, and organization of industry events such as the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC). It does not sell rice, software, or technology products — its deliverables are advocacy, policy consultation, and member services to 7,700+ rice exporters, millers, CHAs, and packaging manufacturers.

Product overview

The Indian Rice Exporters Federation (IREF) operates as an apex trade body and membership organization rather than a traditional product company. It provides advocacy, policy consultation, trade negotiation support, and industry representation services to rice exporters. The federation does not offer a technology platform or software product; its primary offerings are membership services, industry events (such as the Bharat International Rice Conference), and policy advocacy through its network of 13 regional offices spanning 13+ Indian states.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• IREF Membership Services
• Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC)
• Policy Advocacy & Government Representation
• Statistical Data & Rice News Portal

Quantifiable outcome

• India's global rice export share increased from 40% to targeted 60%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• All India Rice Exporters AssociationmajorOthers · 3 March 2026IREF collaborates with other rice industry bodies in addressing shipping disruptions and issuing advisories during the Iran crisis regarding shipping through Strait of Hormuz.
• India-US Trade AgreementmajorOthers · 3 February 2026India-US trade deal reducing US reciprocal tariffs on Indian goods from 25% to 18%, benefiting Indian rice exports. An additional 25% penalty linked to India's Russian oil purchases was withdrawn. US imports approximately 274,213 tonnes of Indian basmati rice annually.
• India-UAE Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA)coreOthers · 23 January 2026CEPA has enhanced market access for Indian agricultural products in the Gulf region. India's participation as Partner Country at Gulfood 2026 aligns with this agreement.
• Green Point Pte (Sarveshwar Foods subsidiary)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025MoU signed for sourcing and exporting Indian rice worth approximately ₹174 crore (50,000 tonnes including Parboiled and White Rice) destined for UAE, Saudi Arabia, and USA markets.
• APEDA (Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 October 2025IREF collaborates with APEDA to organize the Bharat International Rice Conference 2025 and other export promotion activities. APEDA leads India's participation at Gulfood 2026 with 161 exhibitors. APEDA also conducts the Basmati Paddy Survey project (2026-2028) covering 4 million hectares.
• Shri Lal Mahal GroupcoreOthers · 26 October 2025Shri Lal Mahal Group is led by Dr. Prem Garg (IREF National President) who also chairs the Bharat International Rice Conference and is nominated to the Non-Basmati Rice Development Fund.
• International Rice Research Institute (IRRI)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 October 2025IRRI has partnered with BIRC 2025 to open new global rice markets, bringing scientific expertise and international market access support to the conference.
• Non-Basmati Rice Development Fund CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 October 2025Dr. Prem Garg, IREF National President, nominated as member of the Non-Basmati Rice Development Fund committee under APEDA, Ministry of Commerce, to promote non-basmati rice exports and provide strategic policy recommendations.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• USA Rice Federation: USA Rice is the national trade association for the U.S. rice industry, serving as the counterpart body in the world's other major rice-exporting nation. It engages in policy advocacy, market promotion, and trade representation — directly mirroring IREF's mandate, and on the opposing side of key bilateral trade negotiations IREF pursues.
• All India Rice Exporters Association (AIREA): AIREA is another India-based rice exporters' trade body that IREF itself collaborates with during crises such as Iran shipping disruptions. It directly competes for representation of Indian rice exporters and has overlapping member bases, making it the closest functional peer.
• Thai Rice Exporters Association: The Thai Rice Exporters Association represents Thailand's rice export industry — historically the world's largest rice exporter before India overtook it. It performs equivalent trade promotion and policy advocacy for Thai exporters, making it the closest Asian competitor trade body to IREF.
• Pakistan Rice Exporters Association (REA): REA represents Pakistani rice exporters and competes with Indian basmati in the EU, Middle East, and other markets. Its loss of EU market share due to MRL non-compliance directly enabled IREF's recent 16%-to-53% EU brown basmati share gain — making REA the principal regional peer.
• Vietnam Food Association (VFA): VFA is the umbrella trade body for Vietnam's food and rice exporters and coordinates with the Vietnamese government on rice export policy. It is one of IREF's main direct competitors in non-basmati rice markets across Africa and Southeast Asia.

Broad incumbents

• Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO): FIEO is the apex body of Indian export promotion councils and trade associations, operating under the Ministry of Commerce. IREF operates in the rice-specific lane within FIEO's broader export advocacy umbrella, making FIEO a direct hierarchical peer and the body that sets the wider trade policy environment IREF works within.
• The Rice Traders (TRT): The Rice Traders is a global, non-profit rice trade association running the annual World Rice Conference that brings together buyers and sellers from across the supply chain. It competes with IREF's BIRC for international rice trade attention and serves a similar member-driven advocacy role globally.

Others

• Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA): APEDA is the Indian government's export promotion authority that IREF partners with closely on BIRC, Gulfood, and policy advocacy. While not a peer association, it is the primary counterpart organization IREF collaborates with and competes for influence against in policy discussions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/IrefIndia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/indianriceexportersfederation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Indian Rice Exporters Federation