<p>Basmati rice is the premium, export-quality, long, slender grains with pleasant aroma. Punjab Basmati 3 (PB3), a unique aromatic rice, is sensitive to photoperiod, semi-dwarf, tolerant to lodging, and resistant to bacterial blight (BB). However, it yields less than <i>Indica</i> varieties, mostly due to lower number of grains per panicle (GPP), which varies between 60 and 80. To increase the GPP in PB3, we transferred the grain number QTL <i>qSPP2.2</i> from <i>O. longistaminata</i> (A. Chev. et Roehr.) derived introgression line, RIL127 into PB3 using marker-assisted selection (MAS). Marker- assisted foreground selection using polymorphic markers linked to the <i>qSPP2.2</i> loci in plants from backcross progenies and their advanced self-progenies, coupled with their background analysis for BB resistance (<i>Xa21</i>, <i>xa13)</i>, Basmati aroma (<i>Badh2</i>) and intermediate amylose content (<i>wx</i> locus) and analysis of their grain quality characteristics ensured an efficient and successful introgression of the QTL <i>qSPP2.2</i> into PB3. The phenotypic expression of <i>qSPP2.2</i> in the Basmati background was studied in BC₁F₂, BC₂F₃ and their advanced selfed progenies, and it shows a 35–40% increase in the grain number of PB3, demonstrating a significant improvement of grain yield of the introgressed lines. Together, a large number of backcross progenies and their advanced self-progenies, coupled with MAS for desirable alleles, and extensive phenotyping have resulted in an improved version of PB3 with higher spikelet per panicle (SPP). Correlation analysis using 384 replicated F₂ plants revealed no significant correlation between SPP and grain length, however, a significant weak negative correlation (-0.150*) was observed between SPP and grain breadth, suggesting the possibility of raising the GPP and the total output of Basmati rice having exceptional quality.</p>