Hon’ble Vice President of India C. P. Radhakrishnan Hon’ble Governor of Andhra PradeshS. Abdul Nazeer Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh N. Chandrababu Naidu and other distinguished dignitaries at the launch of Gourmet Popcornica’s pioneering non-GMO high-expansion popcorn maize seed at Musunuru Andhra Pradesh on August 24 2026 in the presence of S.B.P. Pattabhi Rama Rao Managing Director; Venkateswara Babu Kanneganti Director; and Mahidhar Reddy Director Gourmet Popcornica.
Editors Synopsis:
- Vice President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, Hon’ble Governor of Andhra Pradesh, S. Abdul Nazeer, and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, witness the launch of Krisna459 and Godari234, India’s own non-GMO popcorn hybrids, developed at Gourmet Popcornica’s Research Farms
- Krisna459 and Godari234, dedicated to the farmers of India, mark a landmark step toward Atmanirbhar Bharat in agriculture and lower import dependence
- From value-added contract farming to owning the seed itself – Gourmet Popcornica’s next step in building complete, lasting self-reliance for India’s popcorn farmers
MUSUNURU, ANDHRA PRADESH: In a moment India’s popcorn industry has waited for over a decade, the Hon’ble Vice-President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, today launched Krisna459 and Godari234, India’s first high-expansion non-GMO popcorn maize hybrid seeds, bred to match the popping quality of the world’s finest corn. The launch took place at Gourmet Popcornica’s factory in Musunuru, in the presence of the Hon’ble Governor of Andhra Pradesh, S. Abdul Nazeer, and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Nara Chandrababu Naidu. The event concluded with the felicitation of the best-performing farmers and partners from eight states across the country.
Pattabhi Rama Rao, Managing Director, Gourmet Popcornica explains the process of popcorn maize processing to Hon’ble Vice President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, and N. Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, at the launch of Gourmet Popcornica’s pioneering non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize seed at Musunuru, Andhra Pradesh on August 24, 2026.
The launch marks the next step in a longer journey with India’s farmers. Gourmet Popcornica first moved growers out of commodity maize and into value-added, contract-based popcorn corn farming, offering assured offtake and better prices for a specialised crop. With Krisna459 and Godari234, farmers now gain something more fundamental ownership of the genetics itself. Rather than depend on imported hybrid seed, they grow a hybrid bred, tested, and owned in India, built to deliver higher yields, processor-grade quality, and a far greater share of the value their crop creates.
“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.” – C. P. Radhakrishnan, Hon’ble Vice-President of India
For years, India’s premium popcorn, the kind sold in cinemas and gourmet retail, depended heavily on seed and grain imported from the USA, Argentina, Brazil, South Africa, etc.
Krisna459 and Godari234 are the homegrown answer to dependence on imports. Bred and trial-tested across five growing seasons in partnership with India’s leading maize research institutions, both hybrids match the kernel size and popping expansion of the leading imported benchmark, while offering the pest tolerance, short duration, and yield Indian farmers need. Together, they represent Gourmet Popcornica’s most significant contribution yet to India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission in agriculture.
“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.”, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh
Over 17,500 farmers across eight states, cultivating nearly 40,000 acres with Gourmet Popcornica, stand to benefit directly. With average yields of 4.5 tonnes of wet cob per acre and popping quality that meets processor-grade specifications, farmers growing Krisna459 and Godari234 gain access to assured offtake and contract pricing that were, until now, largely reserved for imported grain. This is expected to lead to a direct and lasting improvement in income for small and marginal farming families, reinforcing Gourmet Popcornica’s commitment to the growth and prosperity of farmers across India.
“This is not the story of a company – it is the story of over 17,500 farmers across eight states who chose to believe a better harvest was possible. Krisna459 and Godari234 are our answer to their faith in us, and our tribute to every farmer who partners with Gourmet Popcornica. We are witnessing a moment that Indian agriculture has waited for, the day India’s own soil, India’s own science, and India’s own farmers gave birth to our first non-GMO, high-expansion Popcorn Maize Hybrid seed. For me, and for everyone at Gourmet Popcornica, this is not a corporate milestone; it supports the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.” S.B.P. Pattabhi Rama Rao, Managing Director, Gourmet Popcornica
The Indian economy stands to benefit, as well. India’s popcorn maize market has grown from around 50,000 tonnes in 2014-15 to roughly 1.3 lakh tonnes in 2025-26, with domestic production now meeting close to 70 percent of national demand. This is a dramatic reversal from a market once dependent almost entirely on imports. The shift to local production has saved the country an estimated ₹810 crore in foreign exchange in 2025-26 alone. With hybrids like Krisna459 and Godari234 entering wide cultivation, India remains on track to end popcorn imports altogether by 2030, keeping that value within Indian farms and villages rather than sending it abroad.
Caption: Pattabhi Rama Rao, Managing Director, Gourmet Popcornica explains the process of popcorn maize processing to Hon’ble Vice President of India, C. P. Radhakrishnan, and N. Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, at the launch of Gourmet Popcornica’s pioneering non-GMO, high-expansion popcorn maize seed at Musunuru, Andhra Pradesh on August 24, 2026.
“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. India now has the genetics, the farmers, and the scale to become one of the great popcorn-growing nations of the world, and we’re proud to be part of that journey.” Mr. Norm Krug, Founder & CEO, Preferred Popcorn, USA
Until now, India has been primarily a consumer of world-class popcorn genetics developed elsewhere. With Krisna459 and Godari234 meeting the same quality benchmarks as leading international varieties, India moves from being an importer of quality popcorn to a producer of it – with the scale of farmland and farmers to eventually compete on the global stage alongside traditional popcorn-growing nations.
For the millions of Indians who enjoy popcorn at the cinema, at home, or on the go, the experience does not change – the same big, fluffy, satisfying popcorn remains exactly as it should be. What changes is where it comes from: an Indian farm, an Indian hybrid, and a supply chain far less exposed to global shipping costs, tariffs, or disruption.
About Gourmet Popcornica
Gourmet Popcornica Private Limited is Asia’s largest producer of popcorn maize and the fifth largest in the world, with a major presence in Andhra Pradesh. Founded in 2014, and headquartered in Chennai, the company has built a fully integrated, farm-to-consumer value chain encompassing hybrid seed development, farmer partnerships, kernel processing, cold storage, cinema supply, and branded retail, making it a singular force in India’s emerging popcorn economy.
The company prioritises product integrity, supply reliability and farmer impact through contract farming and capacity building programmes, and pursues sustainable packaging and responsible sourcing across its operations. Working closely with over 17,500 farmers, Gourmet Popcornica currently cultivates over 40,000 acres of popcorn maize across eight states in India,
With a 48 percent market share in bulk popcorn supply and a 69 percent share in premix packs for cinema exhibition, Gourmet Popcornica is today the dominant player in India’s popcorn industry. Its products reach over 3,400 cinema screens nationwide and are distributed across 90 percent of the country.
Focused on the vision to be India’s most trusted gourmet popcorn brand, Gourmet Popcornica is creating a vibrant, atmanirbhar ecosystem where farmers prosper, institutions excel, and consumers everywhere enjoy unforgettable, high-quality popcorn experiences, rooted in sustainability and innovation.
