Global Rice Archive Featuring 200 Varieties To Debut At Bharat International Rice Conference

A first-of-its-kind archive showcasing about 200 commercially relevant rice varieties from India and around the world will be unveiled at the Bharat International Rice Conference (BIRC) in New Delhi next month, giving international buyers a single venue to compare grains and identify potential suppliers.

The Global Rice Archive, to be presented at Bharat Mandapam from October 23-25, will feature varieties ranging from Italy's Arborio, Thailand's Jasmine and Glutinous RD6 and Japanese sushi rice to India's Basmati, aromatic heritage grains, black and red rice and regional specialties, the organisers said in a press statement.

Organised around the theme -- 200 Varieties. One Cultural Landscape -- the archive will be one of nine experience zones at BIRC 2026. The installation is intended to showcase rice not only as a traded commodity but also as a product shaped by geography, biodiversity, culinary traditions and cultivation practices.

For international buyers, the archive is designed as a product-discovery platform, allowing them to compare varieties by grain length, colour, appearance, processing format, origin and category before meeting exporters and producers at the conference.

India's commercial offerings will include Basmati varieties such as 1121, 1718, 1509 and 1401, as well as Pusa Basmati, Sugandha and Sharbati. Non-Basmati varieties including PR-11, PR-14, Parmal and Sona Masoori will also be displayed in raw, steam, sella and golden-sella formats.

The archive will also feature regional and heritage varieties including Navara and Rakthashali from Kerala, Seeraga Samba, Mappillai Samba and Karuppu Kavuni from Tamil Nadu, Dubraj from Chhattisgarh, Tulaipanji from West Bengal, Chakhao Black Rice from Manipur, Joha rice from Assam, Kalanamak from Uttar Pradesh, Chinnor from Madhya Pradesh, Ambemohar from Maharashtra and Mushbudji from Kashmir.

"Rice is purchased not only by price but by grain characteristics, cooking behaviour, cuisine and consumer preference," Dev Garg, speaking on behalf of the Indian Rice Exporters' Federation (IREF), said.

"For the first time, a global buyer coming to BIRC will be able to see a wide spectrum of commercially relevant varieties in one place, compare them and then immediately engage with suppliers. We believe the Rice Archive can become an important instrument for product discovery and help expand exports beyond the varieties and markets India traditionally serves," Garg said.

Each variety will be displayed separately using miniature jute sacks and traditional tarazus, with information highlighting its origin and links to soil, climate, water and cultural practices.

The archive will operate alongside BIRC’s structured business-to-business programme, allowing buyers to move from identifying a variety to locating potential suppliers and holding commercial discussions within the same event.

The initiative comes as India seeks to broaden the range of rice products and markets it serves, with the archive placing commercially traded varieties alongside lesser-known regional and heritage grains.

The nine Experience Zones will be unveiled on the opening day of BIRC 2026, alongside the Rice Sector Vision 2047. The three-day conference will also feature knowledge sessions, innovation showcases, buyer-seller meetings and a Rice Festival.

India is one of the world's major rice exporters, with Basmati and non-Basmati rice forming distinct segments of the country's export trade. Against that backdrop, the archive's significance is less about displaying rice varieties as a collection and more about linking product diversity with international sourcing.

The commercial proposition is straightforward: instead of buyers evaluating varieties through catalogues or individual supplier meetings, BIRC aims to put a broad selection of grains in one physical location and connect that discovery directly to exporters.

The archive could help Indian suppliers showcase varieties beyond the better-known Basmati segment and potentially identify new applications and markets for regional or specialty rice. For buyers, a consolidated display could make it easier to compare grain characteristics and processing formats before entering supplier discussions.