Basmati Rice
Geographical Indication and Export Significance
Basmati rice holds a Geographical Indication (GI) tag recognising it as a product originating from a specific region in the Indo-Gangetic Plain. GI tags are governed internationally under the WTO's Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS). India's GI for Basmati covers seven states: Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi, and parts of western Uttar Pradesh.
- GI registration: APEDA holds the GI tag as registered proprietor (effective February 5, 2016)
- Eligible states: 7 (Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, J&K, Delhi, parts of western UP)
- Annual export value: Approximately ₹31,000 crore (US$ 4.3 billion) in 2024-25 — around 4.45 million metric tonnes
- India is the world's largest Basmati rice exporter; Pakistan is the second-largest, exporting 5–7 lakh tonnes annually
- India-Pakistan GI dispute: Pakistan registered its own GI under its Geographical Indications Act 2020 and has raised the issue at the WTO
● Tracked since February 22, 2026 · last seen April 27, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
27 Apr '26
Basmati rice exporters urge govt action on shipping charges amid West Asia crisis
Economics
16 Mar '26
India’s basmati rice exports to stay steady despite Middle East conflict: Crisil
Economics
02 Mar '26
US-Iran war leaves 70,000 tonne of Indian Basmati to Gulf stuck on high seas
International Relations
02 Mar '26
Rice exporters to meet Apeda as Gulf tensions threaten $6 billion basmati trade
Economics
See it in today’s brief.
Daily current affairs with every static concept explained in place.
Read the daily brief