Humans have been eating millets for a long time. Archaeologists have found evidence of their cultivation in northern China as early as 8,000 years ago and in South Asia around 3,000 years later. Rituals involving these drought-resistant grains were mentioned in the Yajurveda—a 3,000-year-old piece of Hindu scripture—and they’re still used ceremonially in some Indian cultures to this day. 

Long a mainstay of South Asian diets, these hardy grains were pushed off Indian plates by changing food preferences and agricultural practices, particularly the 1960s’ Green Revolution and its promotion of wheat and rice. Millets disappeared from mainstream diets, save for in a few tribal communities and southern India, particularly the state of Karnataka.

However, the agricultural impacts of a warming climate have put millets back in the spotlight. In 2022, India recorded its warmest March since 1900, with the average maximum temperature hitting 33℃, compared to a normal average maximum of 31℃. In some regions, average temperatures were up to 4℃ above normal. With March being a key month for the wheat harvest, this heat wave caused national wheat production to fall by 4% and in some regions by as much as 13.5%. In 2023, the Indian Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare issued a press release stating that “climate change is projected to reduce wheat yield by 19.3% in 2050 and 40% in 2080 scenarios.”

Millet plants can withstand low rainfall and high heat and are resistant to pests and diseases. They also have a short growing season, which reduces the risk to crops from extreme weather events and allows their incorporation into multi-crop rotations. In addition to their hardiness, millets have a nutritional advantage over wheat and rice, including a lower glycemic index and high concentrations of fibre, vitamins, and minerals. They also contain antioxidants. With all these qualities, it’s no wonder Indian national and regional governments, as well as entrepreneurs, have begun actively promoting these grains to farmers and the eating public. 

On the rise

The millets most commonly grown in India include sorghum, pearl millet, and finger millet. Millets are cultivated in several Indian states, with Rajasthan topping the list by contributing 26% of the country’s total millet production. After the grains’ decades on the back burner, India today is home to millet fairs, festivals, and conferences; the National Millet Mission (an 18-year-old government initiative aimed at expanding millet cultivation and yield); millet hubs that bring together growers and consumers; research centres; and financial incentives encouraging farmers to grow millets. 

In its 2023 budget, the national government announced the equivalent of US$29 million worth of spending on millet research and development over three years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said his government is enthusiastic about millets because “they can be grown in arid/infertile land… [and] they are superfoods.” At India’s behest, the United Nations declared 2023 the International Year of Millets. 

According to Bangalore-based agricultural researcher Dr. K. B. Suresha, research and development is resulting in better yields. He says the production of some varieties of finger millet has increased to over 3.5 metric tonnes per hectare, compared to just 300–400 kg about 50 years ago. Similarly, some pearl millet yields are 500% greater, while some sorghum yields are 250% what they were. He adds that in the last four to five years, new varieties have been developed to tolerate low rainfall. Some of those varieties also contain higher concentrations of iron, calcium, and zinc. 

“Millet is no longer viewed as poor man’s food in the country,” opines Dr. Prabhakar Rao, chairman of a sustainable agriculture institute in Bangalore, Karnataka. He points out that their high fibre content makes them “an excellent alternative to high-carbohydrate cereals,” and that iron-rich cultivars can help combat anemia in the rural population. 

In the field

In the Karnataka village of Kolar, 70 km from Bangalore, 45-year-old Rathnamma Gundamanttha grows five types of millet—foxtail, finger, barnyard, kodo, and browntop—on her less-than-half-hectare farm, along with amaranth, buckwheat, mangoes, and curry leaf. She processes her produce and sells it to businesses and individuals. Using her millets, Gundamanttha makes malts, dosa (savoury crèpes) mix, idli (savoury steamed cakes), and other foods.

“Earlier, nobody was growing millets in the village,” says Gundamanttha’s daughter, Madhushree Muniswamy Narayanaswamy, who is pursuing a PhD in agricultural processing. “My mother was the first one to do it, and now many farmers are inspired by her. She advises them, trains them and raises awareness about the benefits of cultivating and consuming millets.”

Millets are small, hardy grains that can be hard to process. So as momentum around millets was building in 2017, another Kolar resident, Margaret Henry Josephine saw an opportunity. An HR professional in a software company, she turned agripreneur and set up a millet processing unit, Isayu Foods. “There is a lot of wastage if we do not have the right equipment set up,” she explains. She also wanted to offer an alternative to commonly available “polished” millets, which have had the grains’ outer layer entirely removed. She says this process “goes against the innate quality of the grain, which is healthy and nutritious.” 

Today, the 44 year-old entrepreneur works with 400 farmers from the states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Uttarakhand who supply millets to her for processing. Her production capacity has grown from 500 kg per month in 2017 to 5 metric tonnes in 2025. Margaret is now taking the plunge into retail with value-added products such as millet muesli and pancakes. 

Millet plants can withstand low rainfall and high heat and are resistant to pests and diseases

In the neighbouring state of Andhra Pradesh, millets have fostered sorority among some 3,000 women farmers. Helmed by Saraswathi Malluvalasa, the Millet Sisters Network provides financial support by getting members access to loans, markets, and better prices, and also helps them tackle the challenges posed by climate change. 

They cultivate their millets between the monsoon and winter seasons, saving their crops from extreme weather. The network has established a millet processing unit with the support of the state government, which has enabled them to roll out ready-to-eat millet products. 

While farmers were growing millets prior to the network’s founding in 2016, it was on a small scale and largely as fodder for cattle. “Through our interventions, we have been able to convince rural women to consume millets for their health,” says Malluvalasa.

Not all farmers are as enthusiastic about growing millets, however. Om Prakash Sharma, a farmer on the outskirts of Jaipur, in Rajasthan, says they’re not profitable for him. He explains that he sells 1 kg of pearl millet for about US$0.20 whereas it is sold on to customers for two or three times that price. “For a farmer, there are no margins,” says Sharma. “So I grow millets along with vegetables and wheat. The millets are mostly for my personal consumption and my cattle.” The current regime of incentives clearly isn’t reaching everyone.

On the table

While there is growing awareness about millets in India, many people don’t know how to prepare them, and it can be a multi-step process. Barnyard, foxtail, and little millets need to be washed multiple times before cooking. Experts also recommend soaking the grains for eight to ten hours, as it speeds up the cooking process and breaks down phytic acid that can reduce nutrient absorption. Once washed and soaked, they are best prepared through pressure-cooking. 

Ready-to-eat millet products that require less effort can be expensive, and the millets are often mixed with wheat. “Very few players are offering pure millet products,” says Suresh Kumar, who runs Millet Maagic Meal, a restaurant with two outlets in Chennai, with his wife Adhieswari Suresh. Their company also makes millet snacks like cookies, crackers, and plum cakes. 

“Every day around 500 people eat at our restaurants, where we serve anything from millet idli to pizzas,” says Kumar. “We have over 300 millet recipes.” Adieshwari also runs a YouTube channel where she shares recipes to help people begin cooking millets at home. 

Surendra Gandharva and Manoj Prajapati have run a millet restaurant in Udaipur, Rajasthan, since 2011. Millets of Mewar serves dishes like tikki (cutlets made of finger millet), biryani (a pearl millet version of the classic rice dish), pizza (with dough made from finger millet), and traditional Rajasthani recipes like daal baati churma (a lentil curry served with sweet powdered pearl millet and sorghum).

“Pre-Covid, our clientele mostly comprised foreign tourists, but post-Covid it has completely changed,” says Gandharva. “Now our three-storied restaurant is largely occupied by locals. There is more awareness about nutritious food.” As Gandharva says, awareness of millets as climate-smart crops and nutritious foods is on the rise in India. Thanks to government intervention, says sustainable agriculture champion Rao, they’ve made “the transition from poor man’s food to being branded as global super food.” While millets may not replace wheat or rice anytime soon, the grains known as shree anna (“divine food”) are being helped into Indian fields and kitchens just as the changing climate makes their adoption a necessity.

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