International Millets Centre in Hyderabad: Centre Sanctions ₹250 Crore for Establishment

An International Millets Centre of Excellence will be established at the ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research (IIMR) campus in Hyderabad, it was officially announced on Friday. Union Minister for Coal and Mines G. Kishan Reddy stated that the Central Government has sanctioned ₹250 crore for the establishment of this prestigious facility.

G. Kishan Reddy revealed that the Union Minister for Agriculture, Farmers Welfare, and Rural Development Shivraj Singh Chouhan had conveyed this funding approval to him through a letter. He explained that this initiative is part of the “PM Shri Anna Yojana (Millets),” aimed at achieving food and nutritional security for a healthier India by promoting the production and consumption of millets.

Commenting on the development via the platform ‘X’, G. Kishan Reddy said, “This new international centre of excellence will provide significant impetus to ongoing research at IIMR. It will host world-class research laboratories, skill development centres, and extension facilities. In particular, Telangana farmers will benefit from access to quality seeds and enhanced support for millet cultivation. The centre will also conduct regular training for farmers, support value-based product marketing, and encourage startups in this sector.”

As the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Telangana, G. Kishan Reddy emphasized that this programme would greatly benefit the farmers of Telangana. He extended his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on behalf of the people of Telangana.

In his letter, Shivraj Singh Chouhan outlined the primary objectives of the proposed skill development centre. These include strengthening the millet gene bank, conserving genetic traits, identifying specific characteristics, and utilizing the biodiversity of millets for crop improvement. The facility will establish a world-class medium-term genetic material storage centre to support these goals. He further noted that this centre will serve as a global hub for technological innovations in millet traits, seed development, and crop improvement aimed at enhancing yield and productivity.

Moreover, the centre will also function as a national laboratory for nutritional analysis of millets, food safety, and quality assurance. The Union Agriculture Minister explained that it will also serve as an international hub for value-chain-based services in millet entrepreneurship, incubation, and startup development.