In seven parents of maize representing different levels of tolerance to drought were crossed in all possible combinations without reciprocals to study the combining ability of parents and its crosses. Both GCA and SCA variances were significant for grain yield and its components characters, lb 1073, lb 1143 and lb 1155 were recognized as good general combiners for majority of the characters including grain yield. The crosses viz., lb 1073 x lb 1143 and lb 1073 x lb 1155 had significant SCA effect for grain yield and most of its component characters indicating the feasibility of exploiting non-additive genetic variance through heterosis breeding. It was suggested to advance the cross lb 1073 x lb 1155 involving parent exhibiting good GCA to obtain segregate combining desirable combination of yield and its components.