From Biryani to Beer, ICAR-IIMR Spearheads Value Addition of Millets to Make India the Global Hub of the 'Lost Grain'

The Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR), located in Hyderabad, has been working on developing value-added products from a wide range of millets. The institute, which comes under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), has incubated over 300 startups in the last five years by transferring technology to produce commercial value-added food products. 

Millets were once integral to the traditional Indian diet and the IIMR is helping to bring them back to prominence. The institute has been focusing on developing grain varieties and hybrids, improving aspects of production, protection, and the preparation of a wide range of foods to appeal to younger generations. They have even mastered the preparation of 'analogue rice', which is millets that look like rice.

Millets are gluten-free and not suitable for processing. The IIMR has generated about 70 food processing technologies with value additions and has partnered with public and private stakeholders to mainstream millets. From an irrelevant crop that farmers grew for their consumption, millets are now being talked about for every plate.

The IIMR has piloted a value chain and mastered backward integration. Nutrihub, the institute's technology business incubator, offers training, seed funding of up to Rs 25 lakh and business linkages. The incubator has tied up with companies such as ITC, Britannia, Nestle, HUL, Godrej, Haldiram, and PepsiCo. They offer a unique model and a focused incubator. Nutrihub has about 70 food products, from biscuits, muffins, pasta, noodles, cookies, etc., and machinery to prepare them. The incubator allows the incubatees to use production facilities on campus until they are ready to move out.

One of the senior scientists conveyed that analogue rice is one of the premium technologies that will be a market disruptor. Analogue rice is prepared using cold extrusion technology for ready-to-cook foods. It will look exactly like rice and can be fortified with any additional nutrients that are lacking to make the rice balanced. He predicts that a day is not far when biryani and pulao, prepared using analogue rice, will be served in hotels. The scientists are currently working on standardizing its shelf life, and in a few months, it will be ready for the market.

The IIMR is also working on millets for cattle feed and has tied up with about 15 companies for mass production and sale. Ethanol-blended fuel from sorghum is another area of growing research. The institute is modeling more than 30 FPOs from six states for vertical integration and farmgate value additions so that they may become agencies for aggregation and primary sources of procurement for startups or industries.

The IIMR is in its 65th year and was mentioned by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman during the Union budget on account of the International Year of Millets 2023, declared by the United Nations. The research institute has risen to prominence and is being supported as the Centre of Excellence for sharing best practices, research, and technologies with the world in India's attempt to become a global hub. In addition to promoting millets for human consumption, the ICAR-IIMR is also working on millets for cattle feed and has tied up with about 15 companies for mass production and sale. Ethanol-blended fuel from sorghum is another area of growing research.

The IIMR is modeling over 30 FPOs from six states for vertical integration and farm-gate value additions so that they may become agencies for aggregation and primary sources of procurement for the startups or industry.