ITC Ltd is going to introduce millets into most of its packaged food products and has started millet based dishes in its chain of hotels in an effort to make them a mainstream cereal like wheat and rice, chairman and managing director Sanjiv Puri said.

This is a part of the conglomerate’s ‘Mission Millet’ strategy which it will also roll out as a branding effort in all products which will have millets in them. The company will introduce millets as an additive or roll out 100% millet products across categories like snacks, confectionery, cereals, ready to eat range, biscuits and instant noodles, said Puri.

“The potential is huge. Adding millets is an opportunity for 80% of the Rs 5 lakh crore addressable market where ITC operates. It is a virgin territory right now and it all depends on how players like us and start-ups create an ecosystem with government intervention. It will progressively become mainstream and as interesting a cereal as rice and wheat,” Puri told reporters on Wednesday.

ITC’s divisional chief executive of foods business Hemant Malik said the company will have its millet based products in the regular and premium price range. At present, most such products are sold in the premium or super-premium range. For instance, when we add millet in confectionery or in snacks there won’t be a change in the product pricing but we will roll out a cookie made with 100% millet at the premium range, he said.

“2023 is the international year of millets. We will export several of these products as well since a huge potential lies internationally,” said Malik.

The company will develop farmer demonstration and training on growing millets over 7,000 acres and production will be aligned to the offtake as the consumption builds up.

ITC will take multiple initiatives to empower farmers, educate and encourage consumers by advertising these products and develop them as tasty. The foray into millets is part of ITC Next strategy crafted by Puri which is all about scaling up mega brands, drive penetration and build adjacencies, and investing in categories of future.