Millet mania: ITC, PepsiCo and startups spice up India's snacking game

Millets are moving from health aisles to mass snacking. From ragi crisps and foxtail-millet nachos to choco-millet bars, FMCG giants, global MNCs, and startups are experimenting with nutrient-rich twists on familiar chips and savouries, The Times of India reported.

In a sluggish packaged-food market, constant innovation and a stream of new launches are fuelling growth as companies race to woo consumers seeking better-for-you options with fresh formats and flavours.

India’s food culture is evolving, with consumers rediscovering traditional ingredients and opting for mindful snacking. As part of this trend, PepsiCo India’s homegrown brand Kurkure is marking its 25th year by entering the millet-based snacking segment.

“By bringing together the power of millets with the chatpata taste Kurkure is loved for, we are addressing emerging consumer preferences while reinforcing our commitment to innovations that are proudly ‘Made in India’, for India. We believe Kurkure Jowar Puffs will not only celebrate India’s time-honoured grain, jowar, in a fun, modern way, but also help shape the next chapter of growth for the snacking industry,” said Saakshi Verma Menon, the company’s chief marketing officer for foods, told ToI.

Two years ago, millet-based foods were largely confined to health aisles in modern retail stores. That picture has changed dramatically.

“As value growth in the FMCG sector returned in 2024-25, with rural markets even outpacing urban growth, newer categories like millets benefited from increased consumer willingness to try better-for-you alternatives. Today, these are embedded in mass formats and quick-service restaurants,” said Chirag Jain, partner and food processing industry leader at Grant Thornton Bharat, told ToI.

For FMCG biggie ITC, the Mission Millets lineup -- spanning atta, cookies, noodles and snacks -- fits into its broader ‘Help India Eat Better’ nutrition strategy, reflecting consumer interest in health, convenience and occasional indulgence.

“There has been a notable increase in consumption as millet-based products are now readily available in convenient formats across e-commerce and quick commerce platforms,” said Hemant Malik, executive director, ITC.

Meghana Narayan, co-founder of Wholsum Foods (Slurrp Farm & Mille), added, “A large part of our demand comes from digital-first consumers, who are actively seeking better nutrition, so we haven’t seen a slowdown in adoption. While millets remain central to our approach, we’ve also been expanding the idea of what ‘better-for-you’ can mean.”

With inputs from ToI