Once a top recipient of US grain, India is now among largest rice exporters to Washington

It's a story of stunning role reversal. A remarkable one, for India. There was a time, decades ago, when India was a net importer of food grains. And the US sent large quantities of wheat to New Delhi. Decades later, Washington is now complaining that India is dumping its rice in the United States of America. Advertisement

Whether or not India is dumping its rice is a matter of interpretation and can be disputed, but it is indeed a fact that India has become a net exporter of grains, including rice.

In 1960, India depended heavily on America's PL (Public Law) 480 or the Food for Peace programme, under which Washington shipped millions of tonnes of wheat to New Delhi. At its peak, India received over 10 million tonnes annually to meet the requirement. This came when India was facing bou