The Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) in Nagpur is set to become the epicenter of India's millet revival movement. The institute will host 'Swanubhuti 2025', a significant two-day workshop and public exposition dedicated to ancient grains, on December 19 and 20.
Bridging Heritage and Modern Research
Organized by VNIT's own SWAHA – Centre of Excellence (CoE), in collaboration with the National Institute of Women, Child and Youth Development (NIWCYD) and DRI KVK Ambajogai, the event has a multi-pronged mission. It aims to reconnect consumers with forgotten traditional millet recipes, strengthen crucial linkages for farmers, and showcase pioneering scientific research on utilizing every part of the grain.
Professor Sachin Mandavgane, the in-charge and coordinator of the SWAHA centre and a faculty member in Chemical Engineering, emphasized the cultural context. "Millets are not new foods. They were integral to our daily diet, particularly in tribal areas. Our effort is to reconnect people with that rich heritage while simultaneously constructing a modern, sustainable ecosystem around these nutritious grains," he explained.
A Dual Format: Daytime Workshops and Evening Festival
The event is cleverly structured to cater to both specialists and the general public. The daytime will feature technical workshops focusing on advanced research, agricultural practices (agronomy), and value addition to millets. However, as the sun sets, the campus will transform into a vibrant public celebration named 'Shri Anna Utsav'.
This evening millet expo is designed as a lively festival celebrating India's diverse grain traditions. Farmers and farmer-producer organizations from across multiple districts will bring their region-specific millets directly to urban consumers in Nagpur. Attendees can expect to see and purchase kodo and kutki from Dindori growers, ragi from Kolhapur participants, and barnyard millet (sama ke chawal or bhagar) from Nandurbar farmers. Local groups will also offer familiar staples like jowar and bajra.
Beyond raw grains, numerous stalls will feature an array of ready-to-eat and value-added millet products, including cookies, cakes, and other bakery items, demonstrating the grain's culinary versatility.
From Farm to Feed: A Zero-Waste Vision
A key highlight of Swanubhuti 2025 will be the spotlight on innovative research that aims for a zero-waste millet economy. Professor Mandavgane shed light on SWAHA's groundbreaking work. "We are extensively researching millet residues and husk, analogous to wheat bran. Our projects include extracting high-quality protein from the grains themselves and investigating how the nutrient-rich husk can be effectively utilized in poultry feed. The goal is to ensure that nothing from this superfood goes to waste," he stated.
The workshop sessions will comprehensively cover diverse topics, including millets for human nutrition and animal feed, advanced food processing techniques, developing value-added products, effective marketing strategies, and best practices in millet farming.
The organizers firmly believe that the convergence of farmers, self-help groups, entrepreneurs, and researchers on a single platform is the fundamental key to building a robust, profitable, and sustainable millet ecosystem for the future. This event promises to be a significant step in translating India's millet mission from policy into widespread practice and public awareness.
