Authored Article by Chef Shivani Sharma Chefpreneur and Founder of Gourmestan

Few ingredients have made their way back into the mainstream conversation quite the way millets have. Once a quiet staple of Indian kitchens and farms, millets have come to be the topic of discussions regarding product innovations, government policies, and investments alike. However, along with this buzz comes a pertinent query from industry forums and even entrepreneurs in the food industry that lingers around: Is this a real move or just another well-marketed health fad? The honest answer sits somewhere in between -and where it lands depends on the intent the industry brings to it.

The millets have been feeding generations of people in the subcontinent long before they were known by their English names. Bajra, jowar, ragi, and foxtail are drought-resistant and grow well in Indian conditions. The crops serve an important purpose in the food chain, are packed with nutrition, and are easily digestible. For example, ragi is one of the highest sources of calcium and iron among the plant sources and thus has special significance in a diet where dairy products and meat consumption is minimal. Similarly, jowar is rich in antioxidants and has a low glycemic index, both of which are crucial in a nation where the rate of diabetes cases is growing. These are not incidental nutritional benefits. They are the reason these grains were staples for centuries before modern food systems quietly sidelined them.

The numbers reflect a genuine resurgence. According to recent projections, the Indian millet market would expand at a CAGR of 16.7% over 2021–2026. In global terms, the market of millets was estimated to worth USD 15.3 billion in 2024 and should amount to USD 23.4 billion by 2034. It is unlikely to be the growth chart of yet another food trend driven by a brief consumer interest towards healthy diets. Such a rate of expansion indicates some structural shifts in consumer attitudes towards the way people eat. When the Indian government announced that 2023 would be The International Year of Millets and that India would champion that initiative globally, a significant door was opened.

This trend has seen the FMCG sector making great strides into taking advantage of the opportunity presented, with launches ranging from breakfast cereals, snack foods, ready-to-eat meals to health products. With the category reaching maturity, all players in the field are increasingly engaging with the millets, coming up with formulations that not only provide good nutrition but also taste great and are accessible to consumers across spectrum. The consumer base, especially the younger generation, which tends to conduct research before consuming any food, is becoming more aware. This is shaping how brands approach product development and communication alike.

The brands building lasting equity in this space are those that treat millets as a full commitment, investing in product development that makes millet genuinely delicious and a part of everyday eating, not just a health proposition. Consumer education is becoming as important as the product itself, with brands finding that storytelling around origin, nutrition, and versatility builds both loyalty and category credibility.

There is real market evidence that consumers are ready for this. Appetite for millet-based gourmet and wellness products is not manufactured — it is genuine, and it is growing. The

opportunity ahead is as much about building a long-term category as it is about capturing near-term demand.

Millets have authentic power in the FMCG space. The market is real, the nutrition case is solid, and the cultural familiarity is already there. This is not an introduction of something foreign, it is the reintroduction of something forgotten. That is a far easier story to tell.

Trends that are built on genuine value tend to evolve into enduring categories. The brands investing in millets with depth, in formulation, in farmer relationships and in consumer education, are the ones positioned to lead as the category matures.

Millets were here long before this conversation. With the right intent, they will be here long after it too.