Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has taken a significant step towards promoting millet consumption by partnering with RK Millet Delight, a Kartarpur-based company, to license innovative value addition technologies. Millets, a vital group of cereal grains, are gaining popularity as a healthier and more nutritious alternative to conventional cereals. However, processing millets into convenient products has been a challenge.
This collaboration focuses on extrusion processing, a method used to develop products like extruded snacks and instant porridge from millets. The agreement was formalized through the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between Dr. Ajmer Singh Dhatt, PAU’s Director of Research, and Yogesh Salwan from RK Millet Delight. Present at the ceremony were Dr. GS Manes, Additional Director Research (Agricultural Engineering) at PAU, along with Nitika Salwan and Lakshay Bhardwaj from RK Millet Delight.
Dr. Savita Sharma, Head of the Department of Food Science and Technology at PAU, highlighted that the university has developed scalable technologies for millet-based products, enhancing their functionality, quality, and shelf life. These innovations have attracted significant interest from entrepreneurs and the food industry due to their health benefits and convenience.
Dr. Khushdeep Dharni, Associate Director of PAU’s Technology Marketing and IPR Cell, noted that value addition plays a crucial role in popularizing millets. He added that the university is aligning with the growing demand for convenient functional foods, while ensuring better prices for both growers and processors. PAU’s efforts aim to disseminate these technologies to the grassroots level to boost millet consumption.
Also present at the MoA signing were Dr. Baljit Singh, Principal Food Technologist, and Dr. Bobade Hanuman Pandurangrao, Food Technologist, further reinforcing PAU’s commitment to advancing millet-based products.
