Ancient grains in India are often referred to as “millets” and heritage cereals. These grains were staples before the Green Revolution shifted agriculture toward wheat and rice monocropping. Today, there is a growing revival of these resilient crops.

Some important ancient Indian grains include:

• Finger millet (ragi)
• Pearl millet (bajra)
• Sorghum (jowar)
• Little millet
• Kodo millet
• Foxtail millet
• Barnyard millet

These grains are naturally-

• Gluten-free
• High in fiber
• Rich in minerals
• Slow digesting and blood sugar friendly

The revival of millets has also been supported by global initiatives such as the International Year of Millets, backed by the United Nations.

Featured Image Credit: AI-generated image created with Google Gemini, March 12, 2026