Article summary
インドのミレット市場は2023年国際ミレット年を契機に成長し、年間生産量は2024-25年度約1,802万トン、世界生産シェア約40%。食品加工業向けPLIスキームは約80億ルピー(約9,100万米ドル)の予算で実施。MSP引き上げ、学校給食への組み込み等の政策支援も続く。グローバル市場は2025年約126億ドルから2030年約160億ドルに拡大予測。
This article is based on what we could verify As of August 1, 2026 in public records and news reports from India. India revises its tax rules and regulations frequently, and the details here may have changed since. When making an actual business decision, please check the latest information with primary sources such as the ministries responsible and local experts.
Introduction: Is millet a passing boom or a structural shift?
With the 2023 International Year of Millets as a catalyst, India took the lead in promoting millets worldwide. India proposed this international year and secured the support of 72 countries, leading to a resolution at the UN General Assembly. But now that the commemorative year of 2023 has ended, the question is whether the millet boom is a passing phenomenon or a trend that will structurally transform India's food industry. The short answer is that India's millet market continues to grow on the strength of three combined forces: policy support, rising consumer health awareness, and startup-driven innovation, creating opportunities that Japanese food companies should not overlook. This article analyzes India's millet market from multiple angles based on the latest data.
Indian government policy trends since the International Year of Millets
The Indian government has positioned millets as "Shree Anna" (sacred grain) and has continued providing policy support since the 2023 International Year of Millets.
Key policy packages
Raising the Minimum Support Price (MSP): The MSP has been raised in stages for major millet crops such as bajra (pearl millet), jowar (sorghum), and ragi (finger millet). This strengthens farmers' incentives to grow millets, helping to maintain and expand production.
Inclusion in the Public Distribution System (PDS): Millet-based meals have been incorporated into anganwadi (maternal and child health center) programs and school meals, creating everyday touchpoints for consumers. This is an important measure that underpins millet consumption, especially in rural areas and among low-income households.
Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the food processing industry: The Ministry of Food Processing Industries is running a PLI scheme for millet-based products from FY2022-23 through FY2026-27 with a budget of roughly 8 billion rupees (about $91 million). It covers value-added products in the "Ready to Eat" and "Ready to Serve" categories, including noodles, pasta, cereal mixes, biscuits, cookies, and snacks.
Startup support: The Ministry of Agriculture has provided funding to 66 startups to promote millet consumption, and support is also expanding through PMFME (the Prime Minister's Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises scheme) and the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund.
Original analysis: assessing the sustainability of the policy
What stands out is that these policies align with the Modi government's national strategies of "Make in India" and "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (self-reliant India). In other words, millet promotion is not merely an agricultural policy but part of a broader national strategy encompassing nutrition security, export promotion, and climate adaptation, so its direction is unlikely to change significantly even with a change of government.
Latest trends in production and consumption data
India is the world's largest producer of millets, accounting for about 40% of global production.
Production data
| Metric |
Value |
Fiscal year |
| India's annual millet production |
Approx. 18.02 million tonnes |
FY2024-25 |
| Year-on-year increase |
+443,000 tons (4.43 lakh t) |
FY2024-25 |
| Share of world production |
Approx. 40% |
FY2024-25 |
| Export volume |
89,165 tonnes |
FY2024-25 |
| Export value |
$37 million |
FY2024-25 |
By crop, bajra (pearl millet) has the largest production, followed by jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), and small millets. By state, Rajasthan is the largest producer, followed by Maharashtra and Karnataka in second and third place.
Market size forecast
The global millet market was estimated at about $12.6 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach about $16.0 billion by 2030 (4.95% a year). Asia-Pacific holds a 46.1% share on the back of India's output.
NITI Aayog also projects that domestic demand for coarse cereals (which include maize) will reach 57 to 64 million tonnes by 2029-30. That figure covers a different scope from millets excluding maize (about 18 million tonnes), so you cannot get a supply-demand gap by simply subtracting one from the other. Even so, broken down by use, there are items where food and processing demand is growing faster than supply, and that translates into business opportunities in processing and distribution.
Original analysis: shifting consumption patterns
Millet consumption in India is shifting from traditional staple-food consumption in rural areas toward
middle-class health-conscious consumption in urban areas. Young people in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Delhi NCR in particular are paying attention to millets as a "superfood," and product development targeting this demographic is advancing rapidly.
Major brands and the startup ecosystem
In India's millet market, D2C (Direct to Consumer) startups are growing rapidly alongside traditional grain companies.
Notable brands
Slurrp Farm: A pioneer in millet snacks and cereals for children. It offers nutritious baby and toddler foods made with ragi and jowar, winning support from health-conscious urban parents. It has national distribution through Amazon India and major retail chains.
Eat Millet: A brand offering millet-based ready meals and snacks. Its product line reinterprets traditional Indian dishes using millets.
Phalada Pure and Sure: As a pioneer in organic food, it offers a wide range of organic millet products. In addition to these brands, young agri-entrepreneurs are working to build D2C millet brands and supply chains, and
India's Startup Ecosystem this energy is spilling over into the millet market as well.
Original analysis: market segmentation
India's millet product market can be broadly divided into four segments. The first is the "tradition revival" segment, using millets as an ingredient in traditional foods such as roti and kanji. The second is the "health premium" segment, covering value-added products such as cereals, protein bars, and health drinks. The third is the "gluten-free" segment, covering pasta and noodles for people with wheat allergies. The fourth is the "baby food and toddler food" segment, covering weaning foods and snacks for children. For Japanese companies considering entry, the second and third segments are likely to have the highest affinity.
Millet export potential and international markets
India's millet exports go mainly to the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Nepal, the United States, Germany, Libya, and Bangladesh.
Export challenges and outlook
Export volume in FY2024-25 was about 89,165 tonnes (export value of $37 million), only about 0.5% of production. The Indian government has set an export target of $100 million, so there is still substantial room for growth. Challenges to expanding exports include international harmonization of quality standards (particularly
FSSAI regulatory revisions), improving the level of processing (promoting exports of value-added products rather than raw grain), and strengthening branding and marketing.
Original analysis: export potential to the Japanese market
In Japan, awareness of millets is gradually rising against a backdrop of growing gluten-free demand and interest in functional foods. Compliance with residual pesticide standards is a challenge for direct exports from India, but millets that have already obtained organic certification have ample potential for expansion into the Japanese market.
Opportunities for Japanese companies: five approaches
India's agribusiness For Japanese companies interested in this area, the following business opportunities exist around millets.
1. Providing processing technology
Japan's food processing technologies, such as precision milling, extrusion, and freeze-drying, offer a major advantage in the value-added processing of millets. Supporting the introduction of millet processing lines through partnerships with machinery manufacturers is a realistic entry strategy.
2. Product development partnerships
A model in which Indian millet startups and Japanese food makers jointly develop new products is beneficial to both sides. For example, one could envision developing Japanese-style instant noodles, snacks, or baby foods made with millets.
3. Quality control and certification support
A business model that supports Indian companies aiming to export to international markets by helping them adopt Japanese-quality management systems and obtain HACCP certification is also promising. In particular,
Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities demand for quality improvement at these processing facilities is rising.
4. Import business for the Japanese market
A business importing Indian organic millets for Japan's gluten-free and health food markets can also be expected to be highly profitable, even if the scale is limited.
5. Millets x technology
Smart farming for millet cultivation (precision agriculture, drone use), IoT solutions for post-harvest quality control, and other technologies that support
D2C brands'growth are also worth considering as an area for entry.
Frequently asked questions
- Now that the International Year of Millets has ended, will demand for millets in India continue?
-
Millet promotion is not a one-off event; it is supported by ongoing policies such as raising the minimum support price and incorporating millets into the public distribution system. These policies align with national strategy, and demand is expanding structurally across three layers: policy, health awareness, and startups.
- Which millets are mainly produced and distributed in India?
-
Bajra (pearl millet) has the largest production, followed by jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), and small millets. By state, Rajasthan is the largest producer, with Maharashtra and Karnataka also major producing states. India is one of the world's largest producers of millets.
- Which segments related to millets are easiest for Japanese food companies to enter?
-
The market can be classified into tradition revival, health premium, gluten-free, and baby food segments. Among these, the health premium segment (cereals, protein bars, etc.) and the gluten-free segment (pasta and noodles for wheat allergies) have the highest affinity with Japanese companies. These are areas where Japan's processing technologies, such as precision milling and extrusion, can be readily applied.
- Is it realistic to import Indian millets into Japan?
-
In Japan, awareness of millets is rising amid gluten-free demand and interest in functional foods. Compliance with residual pesticide standards is a challenge for direct imports from India, but millets that have already obtained organic certification have ample potential for expansion into the Japanese market. It is positioned as an area that can be highly profitable even at a limited scale.
- What startups stand out in India's millet market?
-
Examples include Slurrp Farm, which offers millet snacks and cereals for children; businesses that provide millet-based ready meals; and companies handling organic millet products. All of them are winning over health-conscious urban consumers through a D2C model and could be potential partners for joint product development.
- Where should you start when partnering with an Indian company on a millet business?
-
Realistic approaches include providing Japanese processing technology, product development partnerships, and quality control/HACCP certification support. It is effective to start by partnering with local millet startups to learn the market while jointly developing Japanese-style instant noodles or snacks. Early market entry and building local partnerships are considered the keys to success.
Conclusion: Millets signal a structural shift in India's food industry
India's millet boom has gone beyond the one-off of the International Year of Millets and is driving structural change across three layers: policy, industry, and consumption. The 57 to 64 million tonnes of coarse cereal demand NITI Aayog projects for 2029-30 is a total that includes maize, and cannot be compared directly with millet output on its own (about 18 million tonnes). Even so, there are items where food and processing demand is growing faster than supply, and that is creating business opportunities at every stage — processing, distribution, and export.
For Japanese companies, millets are not simply a niche ingredient but
India's vegetarian culture a strategic market segment where vegetarian culture and health trends intersect. Early market entry and building local partnerships will be the keys to success in this growing market.
Reference sources