For individuals who prefer to eat only rice but are short of the nutritional value found in millets, here is the news, soon millets will be available in the markets disguised as rice. Under a research project, Indian Institute of Millet Research has developed millets in the shape of rice.
The announcement was made while women entrepreneurs of the FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO) were on a field visit at ICAR-Indian Institute of Millet Research in the city. FLO members interacted with the Institute members on the topic, Soil to Soul to familiarise themselves with millet research.
Dr B Dayakar Rao, CEO, Nutrihub, said: “While reconstituting millets into rice we can fortify them to address a particular nutritional demand for a particular set of consumers. By reconstituting millets we are increasing their shelf-life and digestion. We make millet powder and convert that into shape of rice. It is not genetically modified and retains all the properties of millets.”
On the commercialising front, IIMR has the support of technology business incubator for agri-based startups, Nutrihub TBISC, an initiative by government of India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST). Nutrihub has incubated over 400 startups over the past five years and currently, more than 100 startups are being incubated.
