“Selling value-added millet products has been challenging due to low initial market acceptance, which made supply chain management difficult”

Ajay Kangralkar, Founder, SkyRoots Ventures

While the demand for millet-based food products is steadily growing across consumer, institutional, and export segments, the industry still faces several structural challenges. These include inconsistent raw material supply, limited processing infrastructure tailored to millet grains, lack of standardised guidelines, and low consumer familiarity outside niche health markets. At the same time, opportunities are emerging through government-led nutrition programmes, hospital and airline catering, and public procurement schemes focused on local, nutritious grains. In this evolving landscape, millet entrepreneurs must balance scale, nutrition, and sustainability—often relying on partnerships, institutional support, and grassroots networks to succeed. In this issue, NUFFOODS Spectrum speaks with Ajay Kangralkar, Founder of SkyRoots Ventures, to understand how one such company is navigating sourcing challenges, scaling distribution, and co-creating solutions for a millet-inclusive food system. Edited excerpts: 

SkyRoots offers a variety of millet-based products—from breakfast cereals to mixes. Are any of your products co-developed with Institutional kitchens, foodservice companies, or B2B buyers (e.g., for catering, hospitals, or airlines)?

We offer a wide range of millet-based products including breakfast cereals (flakes and muesli), ready mixes (idli, dosa, and chilla), and ready-to-eat items like bars, crisps, and wafer biscuits. Our ready-to-eat products are particularly popular in institutional settings such as hospitals, corporate cafeterias, and other foodservice segments, as they are easy to stock and serve over the counter.

What are the biggest challenges you face in sourcing millets like Jowar, Bajra, and Ragi at scale—especially in terms of quality consistency, price volatility, or seasonality? 

While our sourcing follows a well-defined SOP handled by manufacturers, the biggest challenge remains the impact of climatic conditions. Sudden weather changes can significantly affect millet cultivation, especially since crops like Jowar, Bajra, and Ragi are typically grown in drought-prone areas with limited water availability.

How does SkyRoots support millet farmers, particularly in drought-prone areas? Has this had an impact on your supply chain stability? 

We support millet farmers—particularly in drought-prone regions—by adding value to their produce through processing and creating consumer-friendly products. This approach helps enhance their livelihoods by creating more demand for raw millets.

Selling value-added millet products has been challenging due to low initial market acceptance, which made supply chain management difficult. To overcome this, we adopted a dual distribution strategy early on—setting up our own distribution in major cities and appointing local distributors in smaller ones.

Today, we have direct distribution networks in 8 major cities (Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad), serving 16 nearby cities. Additionally, we work with distributors in 14 other cities. Our presence in over 7,000 retail stores across India has not only expanded market reach but also positively impacted millet farmers by boosting production and ensuring more stable demand.

What innovations or improvements would you like to see in millet-friendly food tech, especially for scale-up?

Millets are naturally gluten-free and require minimal processing to create value-added products, making them ideal for healthy food innovations. Over the past decade, institutions like IIMR and Nutrihub have played a key role in supporting entrepreneurs with training and infrastructure to establish millet processing units.

The International Year of Millets 2023 further accelerated momentum, with organizations like APEDA and TPCI facilitating global exposure through exhibitions and buyer-seller meets.

Going forward, I’d like to see stronger integration of millet-based products in government canteens (CSD and non-CSD), national retail chains, institutions, and corporate cafeterias. This will not only strengthen the farming economy by increasing demand but also inspire more innovation in millet-based food tech at scale.

Are you working on any new product innovations that blend millets with other grains like oats, barley, or legumes to create high-value mixes?

Yes, at SkyRoots, continuous innovation is at the heart of everything we do. We are actively developing nutrient-rich product blends that combine the goodness of millets with complementary grains like oats, barley, and protein-packed legumes. These combinations are designed to offer well-rounded nutrition, improve gut health, support heart function, and help manage blood sugar levels, making them ideal for modern, health-conscious consumers. Every innovation we undertake is rooted in our core belief of Bringing Back Healthy Life, and we ensure that each product not only meets taste expectations but also delivers long-term health benefits.

Do you see opportunities in customising millets products for niche applications like school feeding programs, diabetic-friendly diets, or sports nutrition?

There is strong potential to customise millet-based products for niche applications like school feeding programs, diabetic-friendly diets, and sports nutrition. Millets are naturally rich in protein and dietary fiber, making them suitable for all age groups—from young children to the elderly.

For diabetics, millets are especially beneficial as they help regulate blood sugar levels by maintaining a lower glycemic index. This makes them ideal for health-conscious consumers and those managing chronic conditions. With the right product formats and partnerships, millet-based offerings can play a meaningful role in targeted nutrition programs.

⁠How do you view the role of institutions like FSSAI and ICAR-IIMR in developing standards, lab support, or technical resources for millet-based products?

Institutions like FSSAI and ICAR-IIMR play a crucial role in shaping the future of millet-based products. Their continued involvement is essential—not just in developing clear guidelines to standardise production processes, but also in providing lab support and technical resources to ensure quality.

However, supporting manufacturing alone is not enough. We believe these institutions and government should also assist in market development by facilitating more buyer-seller meets and promotional platforms to help millet enterprises access new opportunities and scale effectively.

⁠Would more public-private partnerships (e.g., millet R&D in food parks or startup incubation) help players like you scale faster?

Absolutely, public-private partnerships can significantly accelerate the growth of millet-based businesses both nationally and internationally. But for real impact, these collaborations must be value-driven and complementary.

We’ve had brands approach us to leverage our robust distribution network. However, we’ve maintained a clear stance—we do not sell products from other brands. That said, we are open to strategic partnerships where complementary strengths—such as technology, R&D, or market access—can come together.

Such synergies would not only help scale operations but also drive millet innovation deeper into mainstream markets.

Mansi Jamsudkar Padvekar

mansi.jamsudkar@mmactiv.com