Millets, known as ‘Shree Anna,’ are a collection of small-grained cereals recognized for their exceptional nutritional qualities and ability to adapt. The United Nations declared 2023 as the ‘International Year of Millets’ to highlight their importance for food and nutritional security.
Millets are rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals, and they are naturally gluten-free. Their low glycemic index makes them suitable for people with diabetes and celiac disease.
India is currently the world’s leading producer of millets, accounting for 38.4% of global grain production. Millets are a key part of the country’s food reserves due to their low cultivation costs and ability to withstand climate changes, making them a sustainable choice for farmers.
By July 2025, India had achieved a total millet production target of 18.015 million tons for the 2024-25 period, an increase of 443,000 tons over the previous year. This ongoing growth reflects the country’s focused efforts to promote millet cultivation across varied agro-climatic regions.
The government has been consistently strengthening budgetary and policy frameworks to encourage millet production. This assistance is available in all areas of production, export, and research. The National Food Security and Nutrition Mission supports millet production. The Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare runs a sub-mission on nutritious cereals under the National Food Security Mission, which includes jowar, bajra, ragi-mandua, and small millets such as kutki, kodo, sava-jhangora, and kangni-kakun. This initiative is active in 28 states and 2 union territories.
States can also utilize the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Vikas Yojana based on their requirements and priorities and can improve millet production. In addition, the Nutritious Cereals Sub-Mission offers support to farmers. This plan is carried out through states and union territories. Moreover, the Pradhan Mantri Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM-FME) scheme provides targeted support, including micro food processing units associated with millet-based products. This scheme has been allocated Rs 2,000 crore for 2025-26.
The government also launched production-linked incentive schemes for millet-based products. These schemes aim to promote the use of millets in branded ready-to-eat (RTE) and ready-to-cook (RTC) products. The government aims to stimulate value addition by backing the production of millet-based food products for both domestic and export markets, with the goal of connecting millet producers with food processors by boosting demand for grain production. India’s total millet production in 2024-25 was 18.015 million tons, a 443,000-ton increase over the previous year. Rajasthan leads in millet production.