Millets are gaining renewed importance as nutritious, climate-resilient, and sustainable grains that can play a major role in ensuring future food and nutritional security. Rich in dietary fibre, minerals, antioxidants, and essential nutrients, millets are highly suitable for development of diversified food products for all age groups. With increasing consumer preference for healthy snacks, gluten-free foods, functional beverages, and convenient ready-to-cook products, millet-based enterprises have emerged as a promising avenue for entrepreneurship and livelihood generation. Recognizing this opportunity, the Agro Produce Processing Division of ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal has developed a wide range of innovative millet-based food products under the Global Centre of Excellence on Millet Processing, creating new opportunities for employment generation, value addition, and nutritional security.
A total of 23 innovative millet based food products have been successfully developed and are being promoted and commercialized among the distinguished stakeholders. Millet jaggery-based biscuits 3 types (major and minor millet based) contain about 8-10% protein and 18-20% fat, with an estimated production cost of ₹150-200/kg. Millet bread and millet-atta bread developed by replacing refined flour with millet and wheat flour contain 10–13% protein. Millet pizza prepared from millet–wheat composite flour is rich in dietary fibre, minerals, and complex carbohydrates, providing 416 kcal per serving.
Traditional millet sweets and energy foods have also been standardized with improved nutritional quality. Millet laddu contains around 12% protein, 27.5% fat, and high antioxidant activity, while kodo millet laddu and bajra laddu provide 8–12% protein with good energy value. Millet-peanut chikki contains about 10% protein and 16% fat, whereas millet-flaxseed chikki contains 8% protein and 11% fat, making them nutritious alternatives to conventional confectionery products.
Ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-cook (RTC) millet products developed through scientific processing technologies have excellent market potential. The RTE millet health mixture provides 10.5% protein, along with calcium and iron, while the millet nutri-spread contains 14.5% protein, 21% fat, and high antioxidant activity. RTC fermented millet instant dalia contains nearly 12% protein and is rich in carbohydrates and minerals, with a low production cost of ₹113/kg. Millet nutri bar and millet herbal soup is also nutrient-dense products rich in protein, minerals, and antioxidants.
Millet-based beverages and fermented products have been developed to meet the demand for healthy functional drinks. Sorghum lassi contains 2.7% protein with calcium and magnesium, while RTS millet beverages provide natural nutrients and antioxidant properties. Millet-based instant beverage mix and millet-soya fermented powder contain 10–12% protein, making it suitable for health-conscious consumers seeking functional and probiotic foods.
Nutritious ready-to-eat roasted snacks have also been developed for modern consumers. Roasted bajra contains nearly 10% protein and good carbohydrate content, while roasted kodo millet provides around 8.6% protein with antioxidant benefits. These roasted products are convenient, shelf-stable, and suitable as healthy snacks for children, youth, and working professionals.
The average Minimum Support Price (MSP) of millets ranges between ₹2700–3400 per quintal. After undergoing primary and secondary processing operations such as cleaning, grading, de-husking, and polishing, the market price of processed millet increases to approximately ₹70–120 per kg, making it suitable for product development. The development of diversified millet-based food baskets offers significant potential for value addition and market expansion. Establishment of millet processing enterprises can substantially enhance farmers’ income, generate employment opportunities, and promote entrepreneurship. Additionally, such initiatives contribute to nutritional security, which aligns with the key objectives of the Government of India.
Developed millet food basket has been demonstrated and served to the Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh, Chouhan in a meeting and during the Unnat Krishi Mahostav 2026 oeganized at Raisen during 10-13 April 2026. It was also served to Former Minister of State for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, Dr Sanjeev Balyan. The technologies have been promoted and demonstrated to more than 1000 stakeholders including the representatives, FPOs farmers, self-helf groups visiting the stall in the Krishi Mahostav. Further the products have also been demonstrated to various dignitaries including Ministry officials, ICAR-Dignitaries and stakeholders across the country. There is a keen interest among the stakeholders for developed products. So far three millet based products including millet jaggery biscuit, RTE Millet Health Mix and RTC millet instant dalia have been commercialized to the potential millet processing industries and commercialization of remaining products is in process.
(Source: ICAR-Central Institute of Agricultural Engineering, Bhopal)
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