FICCI Appointed KRBL’s Priyanka Mittal as Co Chair of Saudi India Business Council

Priyanka Mittal is appointed Co Chair of the Indian side of the Saudi-India Business Council by Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, reinforcing India’s growing economic engagement with Saudi Arabia and the expanding global role of Indian agri food enterprises.

As India continued strengthening its economic and strategic partnerships across the Middle East, bilateral business platforms increasingly emerged as important vehicles for driving trade, investment, and long term commercial collaboration between the two regions. In a move reflecting the growing role of Indian corporate leadership within that evolving relationship, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) appointed Priyanka Mittal, Director of KRBL Limited, as Co Chair of the Indian side of the Saudi-India Business Council (SIBC).

The appointment placed Mittal among a key group of industry leaders tasked with strengthening commercial engagement between India and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at a time when economic cooperation between the two countries has been expanding across sectors including food, energy, infrastructure, technology, logistics, and manufacturing.

She was set to work alongside Siddeek Ahmed, Chairman of Eram Holdings, who was nominated as Chair of the Indian side of the Council.

Jointly established by FICCI and the Federation of Saudi Chambers, the Saudi India Business Council functions as a major bilateral platform designed to facilitate business cooperation, policy dialogue, investment opportunities, and strategic partnerships between enterprises in both countries.

Industry observers noted that the appointment also reflected the growing international relevance of India’s food and agri business sector, particularly as global markets increasingly sought reliable supply chain partners capable of combining scale, quality, sustainability, and export competitiveness.

KRBL Limited, widely recognised as one of the world’s largest rice millers, has established a significant international presence through its flagship brand India Gate, which the company describes as the world’s leading basmati rice brand.

Over the years, the company has expanded far beyond traditional commodity exports, positioning itself as a diversified food enterprise with products spanning regional rice variants, edible oils, quinoa, brown rice, chia seeds, flax seeds, and packaged food categories.

Founded more than 135 years ago, KRBL has developed a fully integrated operational model extending from seed development and contact farming to processing, packaging, ageing, branding, and retail distribution.

Analysts noted that such vertically integrated models have become increasingly valuable within global food markets where traceability, sustainability, quality assurance, and supply chain reliability are critical competitive differentiators.

Mittal’s appointment was therefore viewed not only as recognition of her leadership capabilities, but also as a reflection of India’s expanding influence within global food trade and agricultural exports.

Saudi Arabia has emerged as one of India’s most important strategic and economic partners in the Gulf region. Alongside energy ties, bilateral trade between the two countries has steadily diversified into sectors including food security, infrastructure investment, renewable energy, logistics, healthcare, and technology collaboration.

Food security, in particular, has become an increasingly important area of cooperation as Gulf economies continue strengthening long term agricultural sourcing partnerships with major food producing nations such as India.

According to the company, Mittal’s role within the Council would contribute toward deepening strategic collaboration while supporting broader efforts to enhance trade flows and investment engagement between businesses in both nations.

The appointment also aligned with India’s wider global trade ambitions as the country increasingly positioned itself as a major agri food exporter with strong capabilities in processing, branding, and value added food products.

Alongside commercial growth, KRBL Limited has also emphasised sustainability and responsible business practices as part of its long term operational philosophy. The company stated that its growth strategy remained linked not only to business performance, but also to environmental stewardship, agricultural sustainability, and community well being.

As India expanded its economic footprint across international markets, leadership appointments such as Mittal’s illustrated how Indian business executives were increasingly taking on influential roles in shaping cross border economic partnerships, trade diplomacy, and long term global commercial engagement.