Millet magic: Zerodha founder's love for 'healthier & tastier' ragi wins PM Modi's heart

It is a big year for millets.

Earlier this month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman - in her 2023 Budget speech - termed millets 'Shree Anna', which means the mother of all grains. She said she wanted to make India the global hub for all types of millet.

From getting an elaborate mention in the Union Budget to being recognised by the United Nations, millets are the star of 2023.


Billionaire Nithin Kamath has also identified the potential of millets.

Taking to social media, the Zerodha founder and CEO said that the Kamaths add finger millet (ragi) to wheat flour and dosa batter when cooking food at home. "It's healthier and tastier," he wrote in his post.

Different types of millets like ragi, jowar (quinoa), and bajra (pearl millet) are known for their numerous health benefits like keeping obesity at bay and managing type-2 diabetes. The gluten-free superfood is also rich in micronutrients, fibre, protein, complex carbs and antioxidants.

Talking about the environmental benefits of millets, the 44-year-old said that millets consume much less water and pesticides, and are good for the planet. He said this is one of the primary reasons “why everyone should introduce millet (in their diet) and talk about it too."

The United Nations declared 2023 as the International Year of millets. Recently, Kamath's Rainmatter Foundation and The Locavore launched the Millet Revival Project 2023.

"I knew the health benefits, but our team Rainmatter Foundation shared the ecological benefits recently," Kamath's caption read.

The project aims to help people simplify cooking with millet. The foundation wants to help consumers add the desi superfood to their diets, and help them understand its impact on our ecology.

"As the world discovers the health and ecological benefits of millets, India can become the global millet hub and also create green jobs locally. Millets were popular in India until the British ... An added benefit of millets is that since they're produced locally, we can avoid carbon emissions linked to food transportation. If millets are distributed through government programs and mid-day meal initiatives, Indians would get more nutrition & would also have less diabetes risk," he added.

Hours after his post, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he was happy to read Kamath's post. The PM said that it was time to make 'Shree Ann' a part of everyone's daily life. "Good to read this! Let us all make Shree Ann a part of our lives," he wrote.


Earlier this week, Kamath met the PM and said that he found his new health and fitness goal. In his tweet, the brokerage firm boss said that he wanted to be able to operate at Modi's intensity when he turns 72.

Kamath further revealed that PM Modi spent almost 30 minutes "late in the night" interacting with him and his younger brother and business partner Nikhil Kamath, despite being busy with meetings and travel plans all day.


The younger Kamath also shared pictures from their meeting on Sunday.


The Prime Minister was in Bengaluru to inaugurate the 14th edition of Asia's biggest aero show - Aero India 2023 - at Air Force Station in Yelahanka, a suburb of the city.

A day before the inauguration, Modi met the Kamath brothers, Kannada superstars Rishab Shetty and Yash, and social media influencer-comedian 'Aiyyo' Shraddha on Sunday night for dinner.