Thirty hybrids generated from crossing three lines with ten testers were studied along with parents for combining ability and gene action involved in expression of characters in basmati rice. The gca and sca effects were significant for all the characters, indicating the importance of both additive and non-additive genetic components. But it is found that there was predominance of non-additive genetic components for expression of different traits in the present set of materials. Amongst the parental lines, RP 3392-75-5-11-1 and RP3644-41-9-5-5 were best general combiners for grain yield along with other traits. The most specific combiners for grain yield and other traits were Pusa3A x RP 3392-75-11-1 IR 68281A x BTCE 10-98, IR58025A x HKR 97-401, Pusa x RP3644-36-15-8-4 and IR68281A x RP3644-41-9-5-5.