1 week ago
India Launches Indigenous Non-GMO Popcorn Hybrids to Cut Imports
India has introduced two new popcorn seeds called Krisna459 and Godari234.
The seeds are non-GMO, meaning they were developed without inserting foreign genetic material.
Scientists made them by cross-breeding selected maize plants rather than using genetic modification.
They were bred and tested in Andhra Pradesh for Indian farms.
The seeds are designed to make large, crunchy popcorn with few unpopped kernels.
India previously depended heavily on imported popcorn seeds and kernels.
Gourmet Popcornica says local farms now supply nearly 70 percent of the country’s popcorn needs.
The company says the new hybrids could help end popcorn kernel imports by 2030.
More than 17,500 farmers may grow the crop under contracts that provide assured buyers and pricing.
Gourmet Popcornica and ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research developed Krisna459 and Godari234, described as India’s first high-expansion non-GMO popcorn maize hybrids.
The seeds were bred in Andhra Pradesh using conventional cross-breeding, beginning with 1,200 hybrids and trials across five growing seasons, including tests in 2023 and 2024.
The hybrids are intended to match leading international popcorn varieties while offering traits suited to Indian conditions, including pest tolerance, shorter duration and yield.
Gourmet Popcornica says domestic production now meets nearly 70% of India’s popcorn demand, up from heavy import dependence, and saved an estimated ₹810 crore in foreign exchange in 2025-26.
More than 17,500 farmers across eight states and nearly 40,000 acres are expected to benefit through assured offtake and contract pricing.
- Who
- Gourmet Popcornica and the ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research developed the hybrids, with participation from Andhra Pradesh scientists and farmers. Reports differ on the vice president who launched them: one names Jagdeep Dhankhar, while another names C. P. Radhakrishnan.
- What
- Krisna459 and Godari234, described as India’s first high-expansion non-GMO popcorn maize hybrid seeds, were launched.
- Where
- Gourmet Popcornica’s facility in Musunuru, Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh.
- When
- The launch was reported as August 24, 2026; development included preliminary yield trials in 2023 and advanced trials in 2024.
- Why
- The hybrids are intended to reduce dependence on imported popcorn genetics and kernels, support Indian farmers, conserve foreign exchange and strengthen domestic agricultural research.
Key facts
- Hybrid names
- Krisna459 and Godari234
- Developers
- Gourmet Popcornica and the ICAR-Indian Institute of Maize Research
- Seed characteristics
- Non-GMO, hybrid and high-expansion, with popping quality intended to match leading international varieties
- Development process
- 1,200 initial hybrids were narrowed to 10 through station trials, followed by preliminary yield trials in 2023 and advanced trials in 2024
- Domestic supply
- Nearly 70% of India’s popcorn demand, according to Gourmet Popcornica
- Market size
- Roughly 1.3 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, compared with around 50,000 tonnes in 2014-15
- Farmer reach
- More than 17,500 farmers across eight states and nearly 40,000 acres
- Import target
- Gourmet Popcornica says India could end popcorn kernel imports by 2030
Quotes
S.B.P. Pattabhi Rama Rao
Managing Director of Gourmet Popcornica
“Today, we take a small but firm step toward Atmanirbhar Bharat – not a slogan, but a seed. Every acre cultivated with this indigenous hybrid is an acre that no longer needs an imported alternative, and every such acre is a saving redirected into the pockets of our own farmers, and the economic development of our great country.”
freepressjournal.in
“This hybrid is precisely the kind of agri-tech innovation our Swarnandhra 2047 vision calls for, technology that does not replace the farmer, but empowers him. When our farmers succeed, Andhra Pradesh succeeds, and when Andhra Pradesh succeeds, India moves closer to a Viksit Bharat.”
freepressjournal.in
Norm Krug
Founder and CEO of Preferred Popcorn, Gourmet Popcornica’s US partner
“I’ve spent my life growing popcorn in Nebraska, and I can tell you—what Gourmet Popcornica has built here matches anything we grow back home.”
theprint.in
Sources
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