ITC Limited, one of India's leading multi-business enterprises on Tuesday, July 25, released a special postal stamp on millets, in collaboration with the Department of Post, Ministry of Communication, in New Delhi. As part of IT's Mission Millets initiative commemorating the International Year of Millets, the exclusive postal stamp celebrates the Shree Anna and the nationwide efforts to raise awareness on millets. ITC aims to help India eat better and raise awareness on millets, a movement spearheaded by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Sunil Sharma, Deputy Director General, India Post, said, "Postal stamps globally preserve culturally significant moments of progressive change across the nation. The Customised Stamp released in collaboration with IT Limited, marks a milestone in this journey to mainstream and restore world's superfood - millets not only nationally but also globally. It is a momentous occasion and brings to bear the collective effort of the nation."
The exclusive stamp on millets was released by Kailash Choudhary, Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare of India. The event was attended by the who's who of the industry, including Sushi Manju Kumar, Chief Post Master General, Department of Post, Ministry of Communication, and S. Sivakumar, Group Head - Agri Business ITC Limited in New Delhi.
Postal Stamp on Millets: Aim and Purpose
The ITC Millets Stamps have been released to further strengthen the vision of ITC to empower, educate and encourage millet farming and consumption in India. Together the ITC group including the ITC Hotels, Agri Business Division, and Food Business Division, to develop sustainable millet farming and produce tasty healthy millets.
The event also witnessed the launch of ITC's initiative to encourage consumers to become millet advocates through its limited-edition digital collectible stamps. Stamps today are a part of heritage memorabilia with immense collectible value. The digital collectible stamp also enables consumers to actively pledge their support to adopt millets in their everyday meals and snacks. Consumers can visit the website www.betterwithmillets.com, to become a millet advocate and be an active proponent of millets.
S Sivakumar, Group Head, Agri Business, IT Limited. said, "Supporting the Government's focus on mainstreaming millets, IT has spearheaded a dedicated initiative called ITC Mission Millets which is powered by a 3 pillar strategy. This encompasses development of a 'good-for-you' foods portfolio backed by innovation, implementation of sustainable farming systems with the creation of a robust millets agri value chain with special thrust on enhancing value-addition and market linkages. The focus is also on enhancing consumer awareness on the benefits of millets, a nutritionally superior food option. The coveted Postal stamp released in collaboration with India Post reflects IT's commitment to enhance awareness and commemorates our collective aspiration to create a larger market for millets."
Millet Products by ITC
ITC has developed a range of millet-based products in traditional and modern formats for all meal occasions including ready-to-eat food products, cookies, noodles, vermicelli, choco sticks, snacks, and staples such as 'Multi Millet Mix' and 'Ragi Flour'.
ITC Hotels has also crafted and included special millet-based cuisines in their buffets. The stamp captures the journey of millets from the farms to ITC's food production factories, and ultimately their incorporation into nutritious dishes prepared by chefs from ITC Hotels.
