Ministry of Tourism to Host SCO Millets Food Festival from 13th-19th April 2023 in Mumbai

Chefs from SCO member countries (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia) will attend the 9-day event and showcase their various cuisines and offer to hotel guests.

To mark the International Year of Millets (IYM 2023), the Taj Mahal Palace will host the SCO Millet Food Festival. This event will showcase a menu of organic millets-based recipes hand-picked by our SCO Member Chefs. The event will be open to the public for lunch and dinner from the 14th to the 19th of April at Shamiana Restaurant, Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, Mumbai.

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is an intergovernmental organisation made up of eight member countries: China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, as well as four observer countries and fourteen "Dialogue Partners."

The Ministry of Tourism Government of India successfully completed the SCO Tourism Mart from 9th - 11th February 2023, the SCO Expert Level Tourism Working Group Meeting and the SCO Tourism Minister's Meeting in Kashi (Varanasi) from 13th - 18th March 2023, during which the meeting discussed the Joint Action Plan for implementing the Agreement between the Governments of the SCO Member States on the Development of Cooperation in Tourism.

Experts from SCO member countries emphasized various activities under cooperation areas such as encouraging of the SCO tourism brand, promotion of the SCO Member States' cultural heritage in tourism, sharing and exchanging of information and digital technology in tourism, promotion of mutual cooperation in medical and health tourism, and improving service quality.

The cuisines of the SCO countries reflect their varied blend of cultures and customs. Food aficionados will find distinct delicacies in the cuisines of the SCO countries. The United Nations named 2023 the International Year of Millets in order to raise awareness and promote millet production and consumption. The worldwide year's purpose is to promote millets as climate resilient foods that can assist the world reach at least six United Nations-mandated sustainable development goals.

The Government of India, led by the Prime Minister, supported the proposal for the International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023, which was approved by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The statement has helped the Government of India take the lead in commemorating the International Year of Yoga.

The Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, has also revealed his vision for making IYM 2023 a "People's Movement," as well as promoting India as a "Global Hub for Millets."