<p>Hybrid rice technology is becoming the most promising solution to address global food security challenges. Heterosis in grain yield should give farmers a sustained yield advantage of at least 25% over inbred varieties. The two-line hybrid technology has the potential to significantly benefit farmers as it provides 5–10% higher heterosis in grain yield than the three-line system. The thermosensitive genetic male sterility (TGMS) system is an efficient technique for tropical regions due to the notable temperature variations between seasons and locations, moreover, there are several other benefits of this system. The adoption of hybrid rice is low in many countries due to poor grain quality, susceptibility to disease and pests and non-preferability by consumers. The TGMS system offers a diverse range of restorer parents, allowing any line with desirable floral traits and grain quality to serve as a restorer. With the advent of molecular techniques, the genetics and molecular regulation of TGMS traits have been uncovered. For further improvement in hybrid rice production, the genomic regions contributing to TGMS, CSIT (Critical sterility inducing temperature), grain quality and floral traits must be uncovered by mapping genes and QTLs (quantitative trait loci) and their validation by recent molecular markers. This review gives an insight into conventional and advanced breeding techniques such as GWAS (genome-wide association studies), genomic selection, omics and transgenic techniques to overcome the shortcomings of current hybrid rice breeding techniques. This review emphasises how TGMS two-line hybrid rice breeding combined with novel biotechnology techniques can improve global rice production and food security.</p>