India`s agri & food exports worth $11.8 billion at risk amid West Asia conflict: GTRI
Amidst West Asia conflict, the think tank - Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) has warned that India's agri and food products exports worth $11.8 billion to the region are at risk as the conflict has disrupted shipping routes, raising insurance costs and creating uncertainty in logistics. It added that the region’s geographic proximity and large expatriate Indian population have historically made it a natural market for India's food exports.
During 2025, the region accounted for 21.8% of India’s total exports of agricultural and food products such as cereals, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and spices. West Asia is also a key destination for exports including rice, bananas, onions and vegetables, pulses, nuts, coffee, tea and a wide range of spices. In 2025, India exported $7.48 billion of cereals, fruits, vegetables and spices to West Asia, with the region accounting for 29.2% of India's global exports in this category.
It noted that the rice exports will face largest potential impact due to the conflict as the region is a destination of $4.43 billion worth of India’s rice exports, accounting for 36.7% of the country’s global rice exports. Besides, the country exported bananas worth $396.5 million and onions and garlic worth $111 million last year to that region, which includes the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Bahrain, among others.
The other major products that India exported to the region last year include nutmeg, mace & cardamom worth $295.5 million, spice seeds such as cumin & coriander worth $163 million, ginger & turmeric worth $173 million, coffee worth $240.7 million, tea worth $410.1 million, processed food, sugar & cocoa preparations worth $1.35 billion, and fish, meat, frozen & processed products worth $1.81 billion.
It added that India exported $281.1 million of dairy products to West Asia in 2025, accounting for 28.9% of India's total dairy exports. Similarly, the country shipped $197.5 million worth of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to the region during the same period, and these shipments accounted for 43.3%of India's exports in this category.
