India has emerged as the world's largest rice producer, surpassing China with a record output of 150.18 million tonnes in 2025. This achievement marks a historic milestone in India's agricultural journey, underscoring its transition from a food-deficient nation to a key global food supplier. The announcement was made by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. China's rice production, in comparison, reached 145.28 million tonnes.
Several factors have contributed to India's rise as the top rice producer, including improved farming practices, the adoption of high-yielding seed varieties, and sustained policy support to farmers. Improved irrigation and better extension services have also played a key role in boosting the country's agricultural output. The Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has developed 184 new climate-resilient, high-yielding crop varieties aimed at further enhancing agricultural productivity and ensuring food security. These new varieties include 122 cereals, 6 pulses, 13 oilseeds, 11 fodder crops, 6 sugarcane varieties, 24 cotton varieties, and one each of jute and tobacco, all designed to deliver higher yields and better quality produce.
The achievement reinforces India's position as a high-buffer food grain economy. With this increase in production, India is now a major supplier of rice to overseas markets, contributing to export earnings and stabilizing global rice markets, especially for importing countries. In 2024–25, India's agricultural exports were worth a record Rs 450,840 crore, with rice accounting for the largest share at approximately 24%. The export of basmati and non-basmati rice earned India foreign exchange worth Rs 105,720 crore in a single year, highlighting the importance of rice to the Indian economy.
While celebrating this achievement, experts have cautioned against potential ecological costs, drawing lessons from Punjab's experience. The "Green Revolution in Eastern India," targeting states like Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Odisha, eastern Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, has aimed to replicate Punjab's success by providing incentives, subsidies, and high-quality manures. However, Punjab has suffered from depleting water tables due to rice cultivation, and a similar pattern may be repeated in other states. There are also increasing reports of stubble burning in these regions.
In the past, India's rice yield was significantly lower than current levels. In 1950–51, India produced only 668 kg of rice per hectare. By 1975–76, this increased to 1,235 kg after the introduction of dwarf varieties and increased fertilizer use. Yields rose to 1,901 kg per hectare in 2000–01 and further to 2,809 kg in 2021–22. The USDA estimates that India's average rice yield will reach 4,390 kg per hectare in 2025–26. Despite this progress, India's average rice yield remains below the global average. Matching China's yield of about 7,100 kg per hectare would be a major milestone, especially considering the large amounts of water required for rice cultivation.
Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal are the largest rice-producing states in India. According to the Economic Survey for 2023–24, Telangana produced 16.63 MT (approximately 12.17% share), Uttar Pradesh produced 15.72 MT (approximately 11.50% share), and West Bengal produced 15.12 MT (approximately 11.06% share). Other consistently major rice producers include Andhra Pradesh, Punjab, Odisha, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Assam. Rice thrives in hot, humid conditions and is concentrated in eastern, southern, and north-eastern India. Its strong presence in river deltas and floodplains like the Ganga–Brahmaputra plains and Krishna–Godavari–Cauvery deltas is due to water availability. In lower rainfall zones, rice production is sustained via canals and tube-wells, which enable high yields but raise concerns about water stress. In hilly regions, rice is grown via terraced cultivation with controlled water flow.
