Where Basmati Is Grown
Only rice grown in the notified Geographical Indication (GI) region may be sold as Indian basmati. This region covers Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, western Uttar Pradesh and the Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts of Jammu & Kashmir. The cool nights of the harvest season, the soils and the water of these Himalayan-fed rivers are said to give basmati its aroma and the long grain that doubles in length when cooked.
| State | Main basmati belts |
|---|---|
| Punjab | Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Sangrur |
| Haryana | Karnal, Kaithal, Kurukshetra, Panipat, Sonipat, Jind, Fatehabad |
| Western Uttar Pradesh | Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, Bulandshahr, Pilibhit |
| Jammu & Kashmir | R.S. Pura, Kathua, Samba (famous for traditional basmati) |
| Uttarakhand and Himachal | Dehradun valley, Udham Singh Nagar, lower Himachal |
Varieties and How Basmati Is Grown
Most basmati today is grown from varieties bred by ICAR's Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. Pusa Basmati 1121 transformed India's exports with its extra-long grain. Pusa 1509 matures faster and saves water, and Pusa 1401, 1718 and the newer disease-resistant Pusa 1885 and 1886 are widely grown. Traditional types such as Basmati 370, Taraori Basmati (CSR 30) and Ranbir Basmati of Jammu are smaller in volume but prized for aroma.
Seedlings are raised in nurseries and transplanted into puddled fields in June and July. Basmati needs less fertiliser than common rice, and exporters push farmers to cut pesticide use, because the European Union and other buyers have strict limits on residues. Paddy is harvested in October and November and sold in the mandis to millers and exporters. The milled rice is often aged for a year or more, which improves cooking quality and price. It is sold as raw (white), steam or golden sella (parboiled) basmati.
Season Calendar
Nursery and transplanting
May–July, depending on variety; Punjab regulates transplanting dates to save groundwater.Paddy arrivals
Late September for Pusa 1509, October–November for 1121, 1718 and traditional types.Milling and export
Year-round; prices are watched closely during the October–December arrival season.Basmati Paddy Mandis
- Taraori Mandi, Karnal, HaryanaFamous basmati paddy market; Taraori basmatiAboutExplore
- Karnal and Kaithal Mandis, HaryanaBig basmati paddy markets near mill clustersAboutExplore
- Amritsar and Tarn Taran Mandis, PunjabMain Punjab basmati marketsAboutExplore
- Jammu (R.S. Pura) MandiTraditional basmati of JammuAboutExplore
Leading Basmati Millers and Exporters
Basmati is one of the few farm products where India has built global brands. The major companies run large mills around Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Amritsar and western UP, and many sell under their own brands in India and abroad.
- KRBL LtdNoida · India Gate basmati; among the world's largest basmati millersAboutExplore
- LT Foods LtdGurugram · Daawat and Royal basmatiAboutExplore
- Chaman Lal Setia Exports LtdKarnal · Maharani basmati exporterAboutExplore
- GRM Overseas LtdPanipat · basmati exporter and brandsAboutExplore
- Shri Lal Mahal LtdDelhi · large basmati exporterAboutExplore
- Kohinoor Foods LtdFaridabad · Kohinoor basmatiAboutExplore
- Supple Tek Industries Pvt LtdAmritsar · among India's top rice exportersAboutExplore
- Shiv Shakti Inter Globe Exports Pvt LtdHaryana · rice exporterAboutExplore
- D D International Pvt LtdRice exporterAboutExplore
- HRMM Agro Overseas Pvt LtdSaharanpur, Uttar Pradesh · rice exporterAboutExplore
- ITC Ltd (Agri Business Division)Rice sourcing and exportAboutExplore
Export Bodies and Rules
Basmati exports are promoted by APEDA, whose Basmati Export Development Foundation at Modipuram, Meerut, tests seed purity, runs farmer awareness programmes on pesticides and monitors DNA purity. Export contracts must be registered with APEDA. Basmati has no MSP and no futures contract, so prices are set by private demand in the mandis.
- APEDAAgricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development AuthorityAboutExplore
- Basmati Export Development Foundation (BEDF)Modipuram, Meerut · basmati seed, testing and farmer outreachAboutExplore
- All India Rice Exporters' Association (AIREA)Trade body of rice exportersAboutExplore
Online and Packaged Basmati
Branded basmati from India Gate, Daawat, Kohinoor, Fortune and others is sold on every online grocery platform. Organic basmati brands source from farmer groups in Uttarakhand and Punjab.
- AWL Agri Business LtdFortune basmati riceAboutExplore
- 24 Mantra Organic (Sresta Natural Bioproducts Pvt Ltd)Organic basmatiAboutExplore
- BigBasket (Supermarket Grocery Supplies Pvt Ltd)Online grocery; branded basmatiAboutExplore
Modern Technology in Basmati
Direct seeding of rice (DSR) saves water and labour. Disease-resistant Pusa 1885 and 1886 cut fungicide use. Laser levelling, residue testing labs, colour sorters and steam-ageing technology in the mills help Indian basmati meet export standards.
- ICAR – Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI)Breeder of the Pusa basmati varietiesAboutExplore
- Jain Irrigation Systems LtdDrip irrigation for rice trials and water savingAboutExplore
GI Tag
Basmati Rice holds India's GI registration for the defined Indo-Gangetic region, which protects the name for rice grown there.
Basmati Rice by State
Tap a state for its districts, markets, government buying and buyers.
GI-Tagged Products
Related: Wheat · Basmati Rice · Non-Basmati Rice · Maize · Bajra · Jowar · Ragi · Barley · Soils.in for farmer help · FoodProcessingIndustries.in · Non-Basmati Rice
Names are listed for reference only and do not imply endorsement or affiliation. The About and Explore buttons open Google in a new tab; results there are generated by Google and third parties, not by this site. Prices, MSP, export rules and schemes change often. Nothing here is financial, legal or purchasing advice. Full disclaimer