Key Highlights
- 1401 Basmati Rice , also known as Pusa Basmati 1401 or Pusa Basmati 6, was developed by IARI. Pasted text
- It offers 7.7-7.9 mm grain length, strong aroma and good cooking elongation. Pasted text
- It is widely used for biryani, pulao, foodservice, retail packs and exports. Pasted text
- 1401 Basmati Rice Price varies with quality, processing, crop year, ageing and export demand. Pasted text
- Buyers can source Raw, Steam, White Sella and Golden Sella 1401 from Indian suppliers. Pasted text
- India's strong Basmati export market creates opportunities for 1401 Basmati Rice for export , particularly across foodservice, wholesale and retail markets.
Introduction:
There are several Basmati varieties in the Indian rice trade that sit between the extremely long-grain 1121 segment and the more traditional varieties. 1401 Basmati Rice is one of them.
Known officially as Pusa Basmati 1401, or Pusa Basmati 6, it was developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI). It has been commercially cultivated in India's Basmati-growing belt for years and remains relevant because it combines good grain length with strong aroma, uniform cooking and a different price equation from some of the more expensive Basmati varieties.
For a bulk buyer, that combination can be useful.
The rice is long enough to work comfortably in biryani, pulao, foodservice and retail packs, while its cooking behaviour gives it a place in markets where appearance alone is not the entire selling proposition.
What Is 1401 Basmati Rice?
1401 Basmati Rice is a notified Basmati variety developed by IARI and is also identified as Pusa Basmati 6 (Pusa 1401) in Indian agricultural records. APEDA's Basmati crop-survey material lists PB-1401 among the important varieties grown in the Basmati region.
The variety is interesting because its commercial appeal is not based simply on having the longest raw grain.
It has a strong aroma and good cooking elongation, with a relatively uniform cooked grain. Supplier specifications commonly place its milled grain length around 7.7-7.9 mm, although the exact figure can vary with crop, milling and the specification being contracted. One Indian exporter currently lists 7.70 mm as its average export specification, while another lists around 7.80 mm.
That variation is perfectly normal in agricultural trade.
A buyer should therefore ask for the actual specification of the lot rather than assuming that every shipment of 1401 will have exactly the same grain length.
What Is the Grain Length of 1401 Basmati Rice?
The commonly quoted raw milled grain length for 1401 Basmati Rice is around 7.7-7.9 mm.
Some commercial specifications quote 7.70 mm, while others put the average around 7.80 mm. Individual lots can differ according to crop, ageing, milling and quality grade.There is another number worth paying attention to, though: the length after cooking.
One supplier specification for 1401 gives a cooked expansion of around 22 mm, while the variety is generally described as having good elongation and uniform shape after cooking.
That is one reason grain length should not be judged only from a bag of uncooked rice. In the kitchen, what happens after cooking is often more commercially important.
For context, APEDA's general eligibility characteristics for Basmati require a minimum average precooked milled grain length of 6.61 mm, minimum cooked length of 12 mm and a minimum elongation ratio of 1.70, along with aroma and other sensory characteristics.
How Does 1401 Compare With 1121 and Other Basmati Rice?
The easiest way to understand 1401 is to look at where it sits within the wider Basmati market.
| Variety | Typical Commercial Positioning |
|---|---|
| 1121 Basmati | Very long grain, strong elongation, premium export segment |
| 1509 Basmati | Earlier-maturing variety with strong export demand |
| 1718 Basmati | Long grain with bacterial-blight resistance |
| 1401 Basmati | Long, aromatic grain with good cooking elongation and uniformity |
| Traditional Basmati | Heritage varieties, strong aroma and traditional cooking character |
Pusa Basmati 1121 has become one of India's major foreign-exchange-earning Basmati varieties, while Pusa Basmati 1509 is valued for its much shorter crop duration. ICAR records 1509 at about 115 days, compared with 135 days for 1718.
1401 occupies a somewhat different commercial space.
It does not need to win every comparison on raw grain length. Its attraction comes from the balance between appearance, aroma, cooking performance and price.
That balance is often what matters when the buyer is purchasing thousands of kilograms rather than a single retail packet.
Uses of 1401 Basmati Rice
The variety works across a fairly broad range of food applications.
Biryani is an obvious one. The long, slender grain and cooked elongation allow it to present well on the plate, while the aroma adds the characteristic Basmati note.
It is also used for:
- Pulao and pilaf
- Fried rice preparations
- Restaurant and catering kitchens
- Hotels and institutional foodservice
- Retail Basmati packs
- Private-label rice brands
- Bulk food distribution
- Export-oriented ethnic food markets
The processing form can change the application considerably.
Raw 1401 Basmati is suitable where natural grain character and aroma are important. Steam 1401 can offer a slightly different texture and cooking performance, while White Sella and Golden Sella 1401 are useful in foodservice and markets where firmer grains and lower breakage during cooking are preferred.
This is why a buyer looking for 1401 Basmati Rice wholesale should specify the processing form from the beginning.
“1401” alone is not a complete purchase specification.
1401 Basmati Rice Quality: What Should Bulk Buyers Check?
A good-looking sample is a useful starting point, but it is not enough for a commercial contract.
For 1401 Basmati Rice wholesale , buyers normally need to establish the complete specification before comparing quotations.
| Quality Parameter | What to Check |
|---|---|
| Variety | Pusa Basmati 1401 / Pusa Basmati 6 |
| Grain Length | Usually around 7.7–7.9 mm in commercial specifications |
| Broken Grains | Contract-specific |
| Moisture | Common export specifications around 12–13% |
| Purity | Often 95%+ depending on grade |
| Foreign Matter | Should be tightly controlled |
| Discoloured Grains | Important for appearance |
| Aroma | Natural Basmati aroma |
| Processing | Raw, steam, white sella or golden sella |
| Sortex Cleaning | Important for export-grade lots |
| Crop Year | Should be stated |
| Ageing | Should be declared where relevant |
One current export specification for 1401 Steam Basmati, for example, lists 7.70 mm average length, 12.5% maximum moisture, 2% maximum broken grains, 95% purity and 100% Sortex cleaning. These are supplier specifications rather than universal statutory limits.
That last distinction is important.
There is no single commercial specification that every 1401 supplier must quote. The contract, destination and buyer's end use determine the acceptable range.
1401 Basmati Rice Price in India
The 1401 Basmati Rice Price is not a fixed number.
It changes with paddy availability, crop year, ageing, processing, grain length, broken percentage, purity, packaging, order size and export demand. Even within the same variety, two quotations can look quite different once the specifications are placed side by side.
Current 2026 wholesale listings provide a useful indication of the spread. One recent market reference places 1401 Basmati around ₹80-95 per kg , while individual listings have quoted prices around ₹70-90/kg depending on grade and processing.
Export-oriented quotations can be expressed differently. One current exporter listing for 1401 Steam Basmati gives an indicative price of around US$700-800 per tonne , while another lists a specific 1401 Steam specification at about ₹89,000 per tonne.
These numbers should not be treated as a universal market price.
For a genuine bulk purchase, the useful comparison is:
same variety + same processing + same grain length + same broken percentage + same moisture + same packing + same delivery basis.
Only then does the price comparison become meaningful.
What Are The Top 1401 Basmati Rice Suppliers in India
India has a sizable network of rice millers, processors and exporters handling Pusa 1401. The market is not organised around a reliable public ranking of “top 1401 suppliers”, so buyers should be cautious about lists claiming a definitive ranking.
Some companies that publicly list 1401 among their products include:
| Supplier / Exporter | 1401 Offering |
|---|---|
| S.S. Industries | Raw, Steam, Sella and Golden Sella 1401 |
| JFT Agro Overseas | 1401 Steam Basmati for container trade |
| Nature Rice | 1401 Steam Basmati |
| Gee Gee Agrotech | Pusa and 1401 Basmati |
| Nandini Enterprises | Pusa 1401 Steam and Sella |
| Nadhya Overseas LLP | Pusa 1401 Steam |
| R.D.D. Imports & Exports | Pusa 1401 Steam, Golden Sella and White Sella |
S.S. Industries, based in Punjab, describes itself as a rice miller, processor and exporter and publishes specifications for multiple 1401 processing formats. JFT Agro Overseas lists 1401 Steam as a bulk export product with a one-FCL minimum and specifications agreed against the approved sample and contract.
The practical lesson is fairly simple: 1401 Basmati Rice suppliers in India should be evaluated on the actual lot they can supply, not merely on the number of varieties displayed on their website.
Where to Buy 1401 Basmati Rice in Bulk?
If the requirement is commercial, the best starting point is usually a rice miller, processor or established exporter that can provide a physical sample and a written specification.
For buyers asking Where to buy 1401 Basmati Rice in bulk, the sourcing process should ideally look something like this:
- Specify raw, steam, white sella or golden sella.
- Define the required grain length and broken percentage.
- Ask for the crop year and moisture specification.
- Request a representative sample.
- Conduct a cooking test.
- Match the sample against the proposed commercial lot.
- Review the COA and inspection requirements.
- Confirm packing, quantity, loading port and delivery terms.
For international procurement, a 20-foot container commonly carries roughly 24-25 MT depending on packaging and loading configuration. One current 1401 export specification, for example, quotes 24-25 MT for a 20-foot FCL.
1401 Basmati Rice for Export: Where Is the Opportunity?
India's overall Basmati export business gives 1401 a strong platform to work from.
India exported 6.52 million tonnes of Basmati rice worth US$5.67 billion in 2025-26. Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, the UAE, Yemen and the United States were among the leading destinations.
1401 does not need to replace 1121 to benefit from this market.
Its opportunity lies in buyers who want an aromatic Indian Basmati with good presentation and cooking performance, but whose procurement equation does not necessarily require the longest grain available.
Middle Eastern foodservice, ethnic supermarkets, wholesalers, private-label brands and restaurant distributors can all form part of that market.
The export conversation, however, extends beyond the rice itself.
APEDA requires exporters to have an IEC, APEDA e-RCMC, phytosanitary certification and the applicable Registration-cum-Allocation Certificate (RCAC) for rice exports. APEDA also notes that destination countries can impose additional requirements.
Basmati's GI status and traceability add another layer. APEDA operates Basmati.Net to support authentication and traceability of Basmati through the supply chain, while its Basmati Export Development Foundation undertakes physical-quality testing and DNA fingerprinting for varietal identification.
For a 1401 exporter, that matters because the value of the shipment rests on being able to prove what has actually been supplied.
Why 1401 Remains Relevant to Indian Rice Exporters
The Basmati market has become increasingly segmented.
Some buyers want extraordinary grain length. Some want early-maturing varieties. Others care more about aroma, cooking performance, price or the way a particular rice behaves in a restaurant kitchen.
1401 fits comfortably into that middle ground.
It has the Basmati identity, a long and aromatic grain, good cooking elongation and several processing options. For exporters, that creates room to serve buyers who want something more distinctive than ordinary long-grain rice without necessarily paying for the highest-priced Basmati specification.
For buyers, the important thing is to stop treating “1401” as the entire specification.
The variety is only the beginning. The real product is the combination of grain quality, processing, ageing, purity, cooking performance and consistency that arrives in the container.
Conclusion
1401 Basmati Rice has built a useful position in India's Basmati trade by offering a balanced combination of grain length, aroma, cooking elongation and commercial flexibility. Its value can change significantly with processing, quality and market conditions, so bulk buyers should compare complete specifications rather than headline prices. For Indian exporters, the variety offers opportunities across foodservice, wholesale, retail and international markets where dependable Basmati quality matters.
