Centre reviews 45 approved basmati varieties to protect ₹50,000 crore export brand

APEDA, with IARI and ICAR, has begun pruning India's list of 45 approved basmati varieties and aligning nomenclature with market-recognised strains like Pusa Basmati 1121. The move aims to safeguard brand integrity behind a basmati export trade that has scaled from ₹3,000 crore in 2004-05 to a projected ₹50,000 crore in 2025-26.

— Source publishedFri, 26 Jun, 2026, 20:08 IST·First seen Fri, 26 Jun, 2026, 20:13 IST·Source The Hindu BusinessLine

What happened

APEDA · Centre is reviewing India's 45 approved basmati varieties for export eligibility, aiming to prune the list and align naming with market-recognised

Key facts

  • 45 varieties
  • ₹50,000 crore (2025-26)
  • ₹3,000 crore (2004-05)
  • 12 mm
  • 22 mm

Why this matters

Expect consolidation pressure on millers tied to delisted varieties—scan for distressed seed-supply and processing assets aligned to Pusa 1121 and other retained strains.

What to watch

  • Final notified list of retained varieties and transition timeline
  • EU GI registration progress and Pakistan's parallel GI claim status
  • Kharif 2025 sowing mix shift in Punjab/Haryana basmati belt
  • Quarterly basmati export volume and unit realisation data from APEDA
  • Listed rice exporters' commentary on procurement cost and margin guidance
  • Exporters (KRBL, LT Foods, Kohinoor) reposition SKUs around approved varieties and lock procurement contracts on Pusa 1121/1509
  • Seed companies accelerate licensing of approved IARI strains; delisted variety seed inventories get written down
  • APEDA tightens registration-cum-allocation certificates and DNA-fingerprinting protocols at ports

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