Union Textiles Minister Giriraj Singh on Wednesday, 3 June 2026 said that 70 per cent of Indian families have now made 'Shree Anna' (millets) a part of their daily plate, crediting the awareness push driven by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a post on X, the senior BJP leader and Lok Sabha MP from Begusarai linked the shift to gains in public health, farm production and exports.

'Inspired by the call of Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji, today 70% of Indian families have made Shree Anna (millets) a part of their plate,' the minister wrote, adding that 'sustained government awareness efforts have given this traditional superfood a global identity, boosting health, production and exports.' The post carried the hashtags #ShreeAnna, #Millets, #HealthyIndia, #AtmanirbharBharat and #NewIndia.

Context

The term 'Shree Anna' (literally 'the foremost grain') was formally adopted by the Centre in the Union Budget 2023-24 as the umbrella branding for millets such as jowar, bajra, ragi, kodo, kutki and sanwa. The government has since positioned the coarse-cereal basket as both a nutrition intervention and an export category.

Mr Singh's post arrives as the Centre continues to roll out millet-based recipes through Anganwadi centres, mid-day meal menus and select Public Distribution System pilots in states like Karnataka, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh.

Policy backdrop

India was the principal mover behind the United Nations declaration of 2023 as the International Year of Millets, a proposal it tabled in 2021 and which the UN General Assembly adopted. The year-long campaign saw Indian missions abroad host millet tasting events, while the Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad was designated a global centre of excellence.

Millet promotion also slots into the broader Atmanirbhar Bharat framework launched in 2020, which seeks to strengthen domestic production of traditional crops and reduce dependence on imported staples. The crop's low water footprint dovetails with the government's climate-smart agriculture targets, particularly for rain-fed regions in the Deccan plateau and central India.

Stakeholders and impact

For small and marginal farmers in semi-arid belts, higher minimum support prices and procurement linkages for millets have been pitched as a route to better realisations. Ragi and jowar in particular have seen renewed sowing interest in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

On the consumer side, urban demand for ready-to-eat millet snacks, flours and breakfast cereals has expanded, with start-ups entering the value-added segment. Exporters, supported by APEDA, have targeted markets in West Asia, the United States and parts of Europe, where Indian millet shipments have featured at trade fairs over the past two years.

Health professionals have flagged millets as useful for managing diabetes, cholesterol and gluten intolerance, given their high fibre and mineral content. The minister's framing of the grain as a 'superfood' aligns with that medical positioning.

What's next

The next set of official figures on millet acreage, procurement and shipments is expected in the forthcoming Economic Survey and Agricultural Statistics release. State governments are also likely to firm up millet inclusion targets within nutrition missions and PDS reforms in the coming financial year.

With the Centre signalling continued political backing at the ministerial level, the trajectory of Shree Anna will depend on whether consumption gains translate into durable farm-gate prices and a wider export footprint beyond the International Year of Millets momentum.