India is facing growing pressure from African countries to exempt them from export ban on rice implemented by New Delhi to curb domestic food price inflation. The pressure illustrates how efforts by large producers such as India to control a sharp rise in food costs are hurting poor nations and giving rise to a form of rice diplomacy. "I have a minister from Mali (here)," said Kamal Nath, India's commerce and industries 1 minister, in an interview with the Financial Times.