As the world grapples with the twin crises of climate instability and metabolic disease, an ancient grain is making a bold comeback. Once dismissed as a “coarse” food of the poor, millets are being recast as climate-resilient, nutrient-dense supergrains poised to redefine global food systems. However, with the fanfare of the International Year of Millets (2023) now behind us, a more urgent question remains: what comes next? Can this moment be transformed into a sustained movement that benefits farmers, consumers, and ecosystems alike? To explore this challenge, AgroSpectrum convened a power packed webinar titled “Popularizing Millets: The Next Chapter in Global Grain Innovation,” bringing together leading voices across policy, science, business, and development. From Odisha’s state-led model and Africa’s women-driven markets to branding battles, health imperatives, and carbon credit debates—the dialogue mapped out a bold, multi-sectoral vision for millets beyond the hype.

As the global food system confronts multiple tipping points—from climate change and soil degradation to the silent pandemics of diabetes and metabolic disorders—millets are making an unambiguous return. Once dismissed as coarse grains relegated to marginal soils and tribal kitchens, they are now re-emerging at the crossroads of food security, nutrition, climate adaptation, and market reinvention. AgroSpectrum’s webinar, “Popularizing Millets: The Next Chapter in Global Grain Innovation,” convened some of the world’s sharpest minds across science, policy, business, and civil society to address a critical question: now that the International Year of Millets has concluded, how can this momentum be institutionalized, scaled, and translated into enduring farmer prosperity and consumer trust?

Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee,  Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha; Joanna Kane-Potaka, Founder and Executive Director of the Smart Food initiative and Strategic Advisor to APAARI; Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR-IIMR; Dr. Raj Kumar Bhandari, Member of National Millets Taskforce, Government of India; Shauravi Malik, Co-Founder, Wholsum Foods; and Agathe Diama, Senior Manager – Communication and Regional Information, Smart Food Coordinator, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Bamako, Mali—each brought deep expertise and bold, grounded ideas. Their insights form not just a call to action, but a strategic blueprint to move millets from the fringes of subsidy-driven agriculture into the heart of self-sustaining food and nutrition systems globally.

Dr. Padhee, offered a rare case study in governance-led innovation that has found few parallels elsewhere in India. While most states treated 2023’s International Year of Millets as a celebratory moment, Odisha institutionalized it into a durable mission. The rebranded Shree Anna Mission, previously the Odisha Millets Mission, has expanded to all 30 districts of the state and now actively engages over 60 tribal communities in the state’s rainfed uplands. Unlike states competing on production metrics, Odisha reframed the millet conversation—placing biodiversity, tribal livelihoods, and nutritional sovereignty at its core. The state guarantees a procurement price of Rs 4,500 per quintal for finger millet, including bonuses above the government’s MSP, offering farmers a concrete reason to stay invested. 

“You don’t revive a grain by issuing a notification—you do it by restoring dignity to the farmers who grow it, value to the seed they’ve preserved, and trust in the system that buys it. Our millet mission is not about scaling a commodity—it’s about reimagining agriculture itself. When procurement becomes a rights-based mechanism, when biodiversity is treated as infrastructure, and when tribal knowledge is elevated to policy, that’s when transformation begins. The future lies not in uniformity, but in embracing the diverse, the local, and the resilient.”
— Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, IAS, Principal Secretary, Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Empowerment, Government of Odisha

Notably, Odisha has become the only state in India to notify four traditional millet landraces (Kundra Bati, Laximipur Kalia, Gupteshwar Bharati and Malyabanta Mami) as formal varieties, setting a precedent for blending indigenous knowledge with scientific validation. The ecosystem continues to deepen: more than 3,000 small-scale processing units have been supported, women-led enterprises such as Millet Shakti Cafés are expanding, and millets are now integrated into the ICDS, MDM, and PDS schemes. Dr. Padhee emphasized that the government’s role is to act as a facilitator—not controller—partnering with institutions like ICAR, IIMR, and civil society champions to restore what he called “the millet ecosystem.” His assertion was clear: “You can’t resurrect a grain in one season. You must restore the whole ecosystem.”

On the international front, Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi, argued that India’s leadership in millet production has not yet translated into brand leadership. The fault lies not with quantity but with positioning. Millets continue to be pigeonholed in global markets as rustic or poverty-linked crops, despite being nutrient-rich, low-input, non-GMO, and climate-resilient. The world is demanding superfoods; India is supplying them—without an identity that excites, educates, or endures. The roadblocks are familiar: weak post-harvest processing, fragmented logistics, limited product diversification, non-tariff trade barriers, and sluggish branding. 

Dr. Satyavathi urged a decisive pivot: Building a sharp export identity that anchors millets in the domains of climate resilience, wellness, and modern dietary relevance. She spotlighted current partnerships with Nestlé for porridge development, beer formulations for Mexican and South African markets, and millet noodles for Japanese palates. Yet product development is only half the battle. Export-grade processing infrastructure—including automated cleaning, extrusion, fermentation units, and shelf-life enhancement technologies—remains scarce. 

“Millets are more than climate-resilient crops—they are nutrition powerhouses and economic equalizers. To unlock their full potential, we need a 360-degree strategy: align research with modern processing, embed millets in public procurement, and build global brands rooted in health and sustainability. This isn’t just a food revival—it’s a food system transformation that puts diversity, dignity, and resilience at the center’’
—– Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR-IIMR

Cold-chain systems for millet-based ready-to-eat products are virtually non-existent. The export channels remain dominated by intermediaries targeting diaspora communities; direct-to-retail and e-commerce pathways are embryonic. Dr. Satyavathi also emphasized branding intelligence. In Europe, words like “earthy” or “nutty” may resonate; in Southeast Asia, positioning around “sweet undertones” or “gut health” may find better traction. Finally, she highlighted India’s recent soft-diplomacy wins—millet G20 menus, embassy recipe books—as powerful tools in expanding mental shelf space globally.

At home, the challenge of scaling millet adoption requires what Dr. Satyavathi calls a “federalist innovation model.” Odisha may be leading the charge, but a network of state-level millet missions—in Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand—must develop localized procurement systems, recipes, and enterprise ecosystems. These must be tailored to each state’s agroecological context and culinary culture. She advocates for investing in women-led processing enterprises and millet incubators to create livelihood pathways and embed equity into the value chain. Biodiversity is millet’s strength—and its uptake must be as decentralized and diverse as the grain itself. “We’re investing Rs 500 crore in millets,” she concluded. “Compare that to the Rs 2.5 lakh crore in rice and wheat subsidies. If we want millets to thrive globally, we must rewire our priorities accordingly.”

Yet as the momentum grows, a new frontier is quietly emerging: the integration of millets into climate finance and carbon markets. Joanna Kane-Potaka, Founder and Executive Director of the Smart Food initiative and Strategic Advisor to APAARI, delivered a hard-hitting assessment of the potential and pitfalls of this domain. While millets’ low resource footprint makes them ideal candidates for low-carbon farming models, Joanna warned against repeating mistakes seen in other sectors where carbon credit schemes disproportionately benefit corporations, not farmers. 

“Millets don’t need a hundred messages—they need one clear, compelling narrative. Quinoa succeeded globally by anchoring itself in simplicity. Millets, despite their superior nutrition and climate resilience, remain fragmented in messaging. We must craft a flagship product and a unifying story. But above all, we must ensure farmers are incentivized—because no global millet movement can succeed without supply-side viability.”
—— Joanna Kane-Potaka, Founder and Executive Director of the Smart Food initiative and Strategic Advisor to APAARI

“The carbon story is still evolving—and we can’t afford to let farmers be sidelined,” she said. Remote sensing tools, MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) systems, and carbon marketplaces may be advancing rapidly, but if benefit-sharing models are not embedded early, the system will replicate extractive dynamics. For Joanna, carbon finance must be viewed as an additional value layer—not the core economic driver. The underlying agronomy of millets must be strengthened through scientific breeding, improved seed systems, and higher-yielding resilient varieties. 

Without it, even the best-intentioned green finance models will collapse under the weight of economic non-viability. “This is not a grain that can be uplifted on virtue alone,” she said. “We need better science, better economics, and better governance.” Importantly, she called for building demand not only at the consumer end but throughout the value chain—among researchers, entrepreneurs, food technologists, and policymakers alike. “We’re not just growing crops. We’re building a climate solution, a consumer category, and a cultural movement.”

“Millets are not just food—they’re functional medicine in waiting. With polyphenols and bioactives that modulate inflammation, glycation, and mitochondrial stress, millets address the root causes of metabolic disease. But for this potential to translate, we must preserve their integrity in processing, validate their benefits clinically, and craft a millet protocol as rigorous as any pharmaceutical pathway.”
——Dr. Raj Kumar Bhandari, Member of National Millets Taskforce, Government of India

From a public health lens, Dr. Raj Kumar Bhandari, offered a radically expansive reframe. Drawing attention to India’s 2024 Dietary Guidelines, of which he was a co-author, Dr. Bhandari shares a pragmatic target: an average adult should consume 270 grams of cereals daily, one-third of which—about 90 grams—should ideally come from millets. This is not a fringe recommendation. It’s an official call to reconfigure the cereal plate to accommodate a grain that offers both macronutrient balance and micronutrient richness—vitamin B1, B6, vitamin E, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and above all, dietary fiber.

It is this fiber—ranging from 8 to 15 per cent depending on the millet—that places millets ahead in the fight against metabolic disorders. With high levels of resistant starch and non-starch polysaccharides, millets offer a slow Glycemic Release Profile, beneficial not just for diabetics but for any population confronting the perils of fast carbs and insulin spikes. The presence of Sulfur-containing Amino Acids like Methionine and Cysteine also elevates millets in the protein quality hierarchy—nutrients critical for growth and repair, often missing in standard cereal-heavy Indian diets.

Millets, he argued, are not simply nutritious—they are biochemically functional, pharmacologically potent, and metabolically intelligent. He cited a growing body of peer-reviewed clinical evidence that connects millet consumption to improved outcomes in Diabetes, Dyslipidemia, Hypertension, and Obesity. The mechanisms? Millets contain high levels of Polyphenols, Flavonoids, Inulin, Phytosterols, and other bioactive compounds that operate at a subcellular level. 

Dr. Bhandari discussed how these compounds positively modulate mitochondrial function and reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, and glycation—core drivers of non-communicable diseases. He issued a critical caveat: over-polishing and debranning can strip millets of their nutraceutical potency, transforming a supergrain into a neutral starch. “The value lies in the bioactives,” he warned. “Value must be preserved through intelligent processing,” he recommended. 

He also flagged a blind spot in India’s National Anemia Strategy, arguing that chronic inflammation often blocks iron absorption despite supplementation. Polyphenols from millets could address this upstream pathology. Going forward, he called for investment in clinical trials, processing protocols, and institutional research to turn millets into certified functional foods—perhaps even therapeutic products.

“Millets tick all the right boxes—gluten-free, climate-resilient, and nutritionally dense. But to move from niche to norm, we must build familiarity, not exoticism. It’s not just about launching products—it’s about category creation. With rising global curiosity and plant-forward diets gaining ground, millets must be positioned as everyday swaps, not specialty grains. The next decade is critical to mainstreaming them across Western markets ”
—————- Shauravi Malik, Co-Founder, Wholsum Foods

 “We gave the world the COVID vaccine,” he said. “Now we must give the world a millet protocol.” Looking ahead, Dr Bhandari warned of a coming productivity shock: by 2040, global food yields are expected to drop by 20 per cent. Climate-resilient crops like millets will be essential. But his point was deeper. Millets are not just climate-smart—they are metabolism-smart. As the wellness economy balloons and the cost of metabolic disease spirals, the grain once relegated to the margins may become the cornerstone of preventive healthcare.

Shauravi Malik, took a consumer-centric view—one forged in the trenches of brand-building and product development. For Shauravi, the millet revival hinges not on production push but consumer pull. Drawing parallels with the success of oats and quinoa, she argued that these grains succeeded not because of government programs but because they became part of aspirational lifestyles. Millets, she said, must become craveable, not just healthy. 

“You can stock the shelves or pitch the menus, but unless the customer walks in and asks for it, the shift won’t stick.” Shauravi’s company, behind brands like Slurrp Farm, has pioneered millet-based pancakes, cereals, noodles, and snacks for children and families. Her insight: consumers don’t want guilt-driven food. They want delicious, convenient, emotionally resonant options that happen to be good for them and the planet. Shauravi stressed the importance of culinary creativity, storytelling, and influencer engagement. 

“Millets are deeply rooted in African culture, but farmers—especially women—rarely reap fair returns. The Warrantage System is helping change that by turning stored millet into collateral for credit. But broader transformation demands structural support—market linkages, financial literacy, and equitable policies. If we want millets to power African resilience, we must first build systems that deliver dignity to those who grow them.”
——–Agathe Diama, Senior Manager – Communication and Regional Information, Smart Food Coordinator, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Bamako, Mali

“The health angle is necessary but not sufficient,” she said. “We need joy. We need style. We need identity.” She also pointed to the marketing challenge posed by India’s deeply regional and traditional millet use-cases, arguing for a two-track approach: preserving hyperlocal culinary heritage while simultaneously creating export-ready global formats. “Millets can’t just be historic. They must be hip.”

Rounding off the global dimension, Agathe Diama, delivered a powerful lens into Africa’s millet economy. Despite being native to the Sahel and part of everyday diets in countries like Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso, millet farming remains stuck in survival economics. Most smallholder farmers—especially women—sell their harvests immediately after production at low prices, driven by urgent cash needs and poor storage options. 

Agathe described the Warrantage System, a post-harvest innovation being piloted in parts of West Africa. Under this model, farmers store their millets in certified warehouses and use the stored grain as collateral to access low-interest credit. This system has proven transformative, particularly for women’s collectives, offering price stability, improved bargaining power, and nutritional resilience. Yet Agathe was unequivocal in stating that such interventions must be scaled alongside institutional support: aggregation networks, financial literacy programs, formal market linkages, and infrastructure investments. Her message was clear—Africa’s millet economy cannot be romanticized; it must be structurally modernized. “Millets are ancient,” she said. “But their future should not be medieval.”

From Bhubaneswar to Bamako, Hyderabad to London, the voices at the AgroSpectrum webinar converged on one undeniable truth: millets are no longer optional. They represent a convergence point for climate resilience, public health, farmer dignity, and food innovation. But their rise requires more than inspiration—it requires institution. More than pilot programs—it requires policy scale. And more than symbolic recognition—it demands structural alignment. With knowledge platforms like MAHARISHI, scientific anchors like IIMR, institutional allies like APAARI, and the collective resolve of farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and consumers, the next chapter of global grain innovation is not only possible—it is overdue. The millet moment has arrived. Now begins the hard work of turning it into a movement.

————————- Suchetana Choudhury (suchetana.choudhuri@agrospectrumindia.com)