India's rice policy tweak cooled global prices

India's rollback of rice export restrictions offered a timely reprieve to global markets battered by surging food costs, easing supply pressures and restoring confidence in the staple's trade.

- Dhirendra Kumar

According to a report by the World Trade Organization (WTO), the policy shift contributed to a 29% fall in global rice prices in 2025, and helped cool food inflation—particularly in African and Asian countries such as Senegal, Benin and Bangladesh, which depend heavily on Indian rice.