ET Online | 29 Jun 2026, 08:40 AM ISTHe didn't plan to farm. He didn't plan to dominate. Pattabhi Rama Rao stumbled into popcorn because a friend's cinema was about to run dry — and somehow ended up controlling half of India's popcorn kernel market. In this episode, we go deep on the full story of Gourmet Popcornica which produces 50% of India's popcorn kernels. How he grew a crop that didn't exist in India. How he built the largest popcorn processing plant outside North America. How COVID wiped out 80% of his business overnight and he responded by doubling his farm acreage. And how one in two popcorn kernels eaten anywhere in India today comes from his fields. This is not a startup story. This is a nation-building one. Show more Show lessRead more onRelated VideosNaN:NaNJio Studios’ Dream To Be Part of a Global $100B Industry01:23Eid al-Adha celebrations 2026: Kolkata’s Red Road stays open during Eid for first time since 197602:52Jr NTR pays tribute to grandfather NTR on his 103rd birth anniversary04:07People celebrate Eid al-Adha with devotion across India amid tight security06:05Guneet Monga Reveals How Gangs of Wasseypur Became Netflix's First Hindi Miniseries.11:21Guneet Monga Reveals How India's World Cup Loss Almost Killed Her First Film26:54LIVE: Asha Bhosle gets Guard of Honour; family & fans pay final respects at Shivaji Park, Mumbai14:52Will smartphone cameras eventually replace DSLRs & mirrorless cameras? | Canon India CEO answers06:05Guneet Monga Reveals How Gangs of Wasseypur Became Netflix's First Hindi Miniseries.11:21Guneet Monga Reveals How India's World Cup Loss Almost Killed Her First Film46:46How Guneet Monga rewrote bollywood's rules and won an Oscar doing it04:31From Painted Stork to Little Egret, flocks of birds seen in water bodies of TN's Thoothukudi suburbs31:5950 years of fighting for women's financial freedom worldwide03:36Kejriwal, AAP leaders celebrate Holi in Delhi; 'Nafrat mitane wali Holi,' says Rahul Gandhi05:50Watch! Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, CM Yogi and Yog Guru Ramdev celebrate Holi07:26Maha Shivratri 2026: Devotees offer prayers at Lord Shiva's temples across the country04:26'Border 2' | 'Wanted to make a film similar to my father's movie': Sunny Deol remembers Dharmendra's 'Haqeeqat'03:14Allu Arjun faces legal heat over 'Pushpa 2' Sandhya Theatre stampede, named as 'accused'00:20ET wishes you a Merry Christmas | May the festive season bring joy, hope, and togetherness02:31Argentine football maestro Lionel Messi meets KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan during his GOAT Tour06:03Watch: Hema Malini breaks down remembering Dharmendra: 'A companionship that stood the test of time'07:39Inside Apple Noida: First Store Tour + Fan Reactions!01:15Actor Dharmendra discharged from breach candy hospital following medical treatment, returns home06:58Skyler Mattson (WongDoody) on Human-Centric Design in the Age of AI | Adobe Max02:15Windows Finally Fixes “Update and Shut Down” & More | Tech This Week | TechPulse12:05Eric Snowden (Adobe) on Designing for the Next 100 Million Creators | Adobe Max02:52SRK@60: Fans from world over gear up to celebrate his birthday in Mumbai04:52Chhat Puja 2025: Devotees observe ‘Usha Arghya’ to the rising sun across India04:38Former cricket captain Krishnamachari Srikkanth makes maiden visit to Mahakaleshwar04:22Thousands of devotees gather in Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir for deepotsav, chhoti Diwali00:18The Economic Times wishes all a very happy and prosperous Diwali 202502:09Amitabh Bachchan greets fans outside his residence, expresses gratitude for birthday wishes02:55'I am missing my brother,' says Cricketer Abhishek Sharma’s sister as she ties the knot with Lovish Oberoi03:01'Ba***ds of Bollywood' under fire: Sameer Wankhede files lawsuit against Netflix, Red Chillies11:0871st National Film Awards: SRK, Rani, 12th Fail sweep top honours, Karan Johar wins popular cinema03:29'Cinema, 'heartbeat' of my soul..': Mohanlal receives Dadasaheb Phalke Award at National Film Awards04:19'The Bengal Files' director Vivek Agnihotri attacks TMC govt for banning the film, calling it threat to free speech41:42WLF 2025 | From luxury to lifestyle: Decoding aspirations of the new Indian consumer13:18‘The Bengal Files’ trailer launch in WB cancelled due to alleged ‘political pressure': Vivek Agnihotri01:59Shah Rukh Khan wins first National Award for ‘Jawan’ | a new milestone in King Khan