From forgotten grains to future food: VNIT puts millets back at the centre stage

Nagpur: VNIT will host ‘Swanubhuti 2025', a two-day workshop and millet expo, on December 19 and 20. Organised by SWAHA – Centre of Excellence (CoE), VNIT, in association with the National Institute of Women, Child and Youth Development (NIWCYD) and DRI KVK Ambajogai, the event aims to revive traditional millet recipes, strengthen farmer linkages, and showcase cutting-edge research on millet residues.

"Millets are not new foods. They were part of our everyday diet, especially in tribal regions. What we are doing now is reconnecting people with that heritage while building a modern ecosystem around it," said Chemical Engineering Professor Sachin Mandavgane, in-charge and coordinator of the SWAHA centre.


While technical workshops during the day will focus on research, agronomy, and value addition, the evenings will be open to the public as ‘Shri Anna Utsav'—a lively millet expo celebrating India's diverse grain traditions.

Farmers and farmer-producer organisations from various districts will bring region-specific millets directly to the city. Growers from Dindori will showcase kodo and kutki, participants from Kolhapur will present ragi, farmers from Nandurbar will bring barnyard millet—popularly known as sama ke chawal or bhagar—while local groups will offer jowar and bajra. Alongside raw grains, stalls will feature ready-to-eat millet products such as cookies, cakes, bakery items, etc.

Beyond food, the event will also highlight the research driving the millet revival. "At SWAHA, we are working on millet residues and husk, similar to wheat bran," Prof Mandavgane explained. "We are extracting protein from millets and studying how the husk can be used in poultry feed, ensuring that nothing goes to waste."

The workshop sessions will cover millets for human consumption and animal feed, food processing, value-added products, marketing strategies, and best farming practices. According to the organisers, bringing farmers, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, and researchers onto a single platform is key to building a sustainable millet ecosystem.