For generations, millets were a familiar sight on Indian plates. Bajra rotis paired with garlic chutney in Rajasthan, ragi mudde in Karnataka, and jowar bhakri in Maharashtra formed the backbone of everyday meals long before rice and wheat came to dominate kitchens. 

Often called ‘coarse grains’, millets were once considered food for rural households and dryland farmers. But as climate change brings increasingly unpredictable monsoons, these ancient grains are making a quiet comeback — not just on dining tables, but in fields across India.

From delayed rainfall and prolonged dry spells to sudden cloudbursts, erratic weather patterns are making farming riskier than ever. In response, many farmers are rediscovering what their ancestors knew all along: millets are among the most resilient crops nature has to offer.

A crop built for uncertainty

Unlike water-intensive crops such as rice and sugarcane, most millets require far less water to grow. Varieties such as bajra (pearl millet), jowar (sorghum), ragi (finger millet), foxtail millet and kodo millet can thrive in dry conditions and poor soils where other crops struggle. 

They are also more tolerant of high temperatures and can withstand periods of moisture........

© The Better India