His Excellency Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan Commends Gourmet Popcornica’s Popcorn Maize Farming, paving the way for India’s Path to Self-Sufficiency

CHENNAI, July 01st, 2026 

Gourmet Popcornica, India’s largest popcorn maize company, and the fourth largest in the world, today announced that it has received a personal letter of recognition from the Vice President of India, His Excellency Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, acknowledging the company’s extraordinary contribution to Indian agriculture, farmer livelihoods, and the nation’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

“Your vision, perseverance, and entrepreneurial spirit have transformed popcorn into one of India’s most popular snack foods while creating value for maize farmers and generating livelihoods across the country.”

— His Excellency Shri C.P. Radhakrishnan, Vice President of India

The letter, dated June 23, 2026, addressed personally to Shri SBP Pattabhi Rama Rao, Managing Director of Gourmet Popcornica Pvt. Ltd., acknowledges a journey that began with the transfer of agricultural knowledge from Preferred Popcorn in Nebraska, USA, and has since taken root across several states of India. Today, Gourmet Popcornica works with almost 20,000 farmers in nine states, cultivating an acreage of over 40,000 acres.

“This recognition from the Vice President of India is not mine alone. It belongs to every farmer who trusted us with their land, every team member who believed in the mission, and every partner who has walked this journey with us. This is not our summit, it is our fuel to do more for Indian agriculture and for Bharat.”

— Shri SBP Pattabhi Rama Rao, Managing Director, Gourmet Popcornica

In a remarkable testament to the power of agricultural entrepreneurship, Shri Radhakrishnan expressed confidence that Gourmet Popcornica’s efforts will not only position India to achieve popcorn maize self-sufficiency by 2030, but will also enable the nation to emerge as an exporter of premium quality popcorn maize on the global stage. 

A copy of the letter is appended to this email.

About Gourmet Popcornica

Gourmet Popcornica is a Chennai-based agri-to-consumer company building India’s popcorn value chain, from hybrid seed and farmer partnerships to kernel processing, storage, cinema supply, and branded retail and e-commerce products. 

Founded in 2014, the company works closely with 19,500 farmers across nine states, cultivating over 40,000 acres of popcorn maize, making it India’s largest producer of popcorn maize and the fourth largest globally. Gourmet Popcornica prioritises product integrity, supply reliability, farmer impact, sustainable packaging, and responsible sourcing across its operations.

For more information, visit www.gourmetpopcornica.in.