India ships more rice than any other country, to buyers in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Europe and the Americas. The range is wide, so it pays to know exactly what to ask for.
Basmati rice
Basmati is a long-grain aromatic rice grown in the Indo-Gangetic plains. It is prized for its fragrance and for grains that lengthen, rather than widen, when cooked.
- 1121 Basmati: an extra-long grain variety, often above 8 mm before cooking, and one of the most exported.
- 1509 and Pusa Basmati: long-grain aromatic varieties that are often more economical than 1121.
- Traditional basmati: shorter grain with a strong aroma, valued in some markets.
Non-basmati rice
- Sona Masoori: a lightweight, medium-grain rice popular for everyday cooking.
- IR 64: a long-grain non-aromatic rice, traded raw or parboiled with 5%, 25% or 100% broken.
- Ponni: a medium-grain variety, commonly sold parboiled.
- Broken rice: used for food processing, brewing and animal feed.
Processing: raw, steam and sella
Raw (white) rice is milled directly from paddy. Steam rice is lightly steamed before milling, which makes the grains firmer. Sella or parboiled rice is soaked, steamed and dried in the husk. This drives nutrients into the grain, gives a golden or creamy colour and keeps grains separate after cooking. Golden sella and creamy sella are popular in Gulf markets.
Specifications to put in your order
- Variety and processing type, for example 1121 Basmati Golden Sella.
- Average grain length before cooking.
- Broken percentage, moisture, and limits on damaged, discoloured and chalky grains.
- Sortex cleaning and polishing.
- Crop year, since aged rice cooks differently from new crop.
- Packing: 1 kg to 50 kg bags in PP, non-woven or jute, with your brand or private label.
Keep an eye on export policy
The Government of India has changed export rules for some rice categories several times in recent years, including duties and minimum export prices. Ask your supplier to confirm the rules in force when you place the order.
Rudra International exports basmati and non-basmati rice from India in bulk and private-label packing. See our rice range.