Indian Army launches 'Bharat Rice' initiative and signs FCI logistics MoU in New Delhi on October 12, 2026

Key facts

• The Indian Army launched 'Bharat Rice' for defence forces at a ceremony in New Delhi on October 12, 2026, in the presence of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Minister Pralhad Joshi, with an MoU signed between the Army and the Food Corporation of India (FCI).
• Superior-quality rice milled to prescribed defence specifications will be delivered directly to Army Supply Depots, including in far-flung areas of Ladakh and the North East, instead of depots collecting supplies from local FCI facilities.
• The MoU gives the Army a formal framework to use FCI's warehousing infrastructure, labour resources and material-handling equipment during operational contingencies, with coordination at formation level between the Army's Supply and Transport elements and FCI's Regional and Divisional Offices; it is valid for five years, extendable by mutual consent.
• The rice will be supplied through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) during Financial Year 2026-27, undergo quality-control checks, and be procured in 10 kg and 30 kg bags to ease handling and transportation, particularly at forward posts.
• The initiative, spearheaded by the Directorate General of Supplies and Transport and based on sustained troop feedback, follows nearly 18 months of coordination among the Army, FCI, NAFED and the Department of Food & Public Distribution.
• Drawing on lessons from Operation Sindoor, Rajnath Singh said future conflicts could involve extremely short warning times, making logistics resilience essential, and described the MoU as a force multiplier reflecting a 'Whole-of-Government' and 'Whole-of-Nation' approach aligned with the vision of PM Gati Shakti.
• The Army has also undertaken other ration-related measures, including additional rations for Agniveer recruits, greater commonality in ration scales across the three Services, and a proposal to introduce organic rations.