West Asia conflict puts $11.8 bn worth of farm exports at risk: GTRI, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• India's agricultural and food product exports worth $11.8 billion to West Asia are at risk due to ongoing regional conflict disrupting shipping routes.
• In 2025, India exported approximately $11.8 billion of agricultural and food products to West Asia, representing 21.8% of India's total exports in this sector.
• India's rice exports to West Asia amounted to $4.43 billion in 2025, constituting 36.7% of its global rice exports.
• Other key exports include bananas ($396.5 million) and onions and garlic ($111 million) to countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iran.

Detailed Insights:

• The Gulf region has historically been a natural market for India's food exports due to geographic proximity and a large expatriate Indian population.
• Disruptions in shipping routes, increased insurance costs, and logistical uncertainties due to the conflict pose significant challenges to India's agricultural exports.
• In 2025, India exported $7.48 billion of cereals, fruits, vegetables, and spices to West Asia, accounting for 29.2% of India's global exports in this category.
• States like Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana are major rice producers and heavily reliant on West Asian markets.
• India's agricultural exports have become deeply dependent on West Asian markets over the past decade, especially for rice, bananas, spices, meat, and dairy products.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Agricultural Exports: Shipment of agricultural products from one country to another for trade.
• Shipping Routes: Established sea lanes used for transporting goods via ships.
• Geopolitical Risk: Potential impact of political events on business and trade.