• Vice President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, Hon’ble Governor of Andhra Pradesh, Shri S.  Abdul Nazeer, and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri 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, August 24, 2026: In a moment India’s popcorn industry has  waited for over a decade, the Hon’ble Vice-President of India, Shri 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, Shri S. Abdul Nazeer, and the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh,  Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu. The event concluded with the felicitation of the best performing farmers and partners from eight states across the country.  

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.” – Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, Hon’ble  Vice-President of India 

(Hon’ble Vice President of India Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan Hon’ble Governor of Andhra Pradesh Shri S. Abdul Nazeer Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri 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 Shri S.B.P. Pattabhi Rama Rao Managing Director; Shri Venkateswara Babu Kanneganti Director; and Shri Mahidhar Reddy Director Gourmet Popcornica.)

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.”, Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh 

( Shri Pattabhi Rama Rao, Managing Director, Gourmet Popcornica explains the process of popcorn maize processing to Hon’ble Vice President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, and Shri 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. )

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.” Shri 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. 

“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.