Introduction

For health conscious people, now there’s a good option for ‘in-between meals’ snacking too. MILLET & MORE offers a wide range of snacks which will keep your health in check while giving the pleasures of snacking too. Talk of having the cake and eating it too.

Who doesn’t know of the health benefits of millets? According to research, millets may play a role in regulating bowel function, controlling blood sugar and cholesterol, and maintaining gut health. Studies  have also shown that millet contains high levels of antioxidants, making it not only a nutritional powerhouse but a food that may lower the risk of cancer in humans. While there’s some variability in the amount and specific nutrient each type of millet offers, millet in general is a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, carbohydrates and antioxidants all of which play an important role in overall health.

At the same time, eating between meals i.e snacking could have adverse effects on overall health if this eating falls into the fast-food category. Chips and chocolates are mostly  the go-to snacks that can ruin your gut and play havoc with your dietary plans. It is therefore essential to be mindful of what you put in your mouth when its not time for the regular meals.

MILLET & MORE is a step in the direction of healthy snacking. Without compromising on one’s health, now one can indulge in the pleasures of ‘snacking’ too. Speaking about this innovative concept, proprietor Viraj Shah says, “For our company, it was probably the next step in line with our thought of ‘farm to consumer’ idea.  We were  clear with the idea that we wanted to make a mass product keeping the taste buds of the ingredients intact and a check on the pricing too.  Millets fit the bill as it presented us with an opportunity of creating regular usage  products with millets.  
Our bestsellers are Kurmura and Bhel, one of the most commonly eaten comfort foods. We simply replaced the traditional Rice Kurmura with Millet Kurmura and the response has been palpable to say the least.”

Millets & More have multiple modules and systems to ensure that the customer gets what he desires and remains hooked on to its products.

Speaking about the same, he says, “For the end customer, taste is the foremost consideration and hence our major selling point is to cater to the taste buds. We take care not to compromise on this prime factor and probably the major driver for recall value for most products.
Besides that, our primary customer profile aspires for product consistency, fair price and timely delivery which are important criteria for any product`s success. We have paid attention to all these aspects of our business.
Our constant efforts are to cover all the aspects of our business from procuring quality products from the farmers to getting the cooked snacks in an edible, healthy manner all under one roof without compromising on the quality standards.”

These efforts are laudable in the face of challenges posed in this industry. Says he, “ The availability of proper and quality raw materials has been a challenge over the years. Owing to varying practices in farming, the output also varies and creates the gap.
Of course, there are a lot of positive developments that are happening in the organic sector as well as organic farming. Personally, I feel that in some time, organic products will have mass production. We do have plans to produce products in the organic range when the time is right.”

He also cited technology as playing a definite and significant role in this industry. Infact, it won`t be wrong to say that technology has changed the complete scenario of the industry in the past few years. Right from advancement in the sectors of farming to quick commerce the industry is  changing big time owing to the various tools of technology.  

Add to that, with better quality of seeds, fertilizers, farm equipment, irrigation facilities and most crucially banking for the farmers has helped increase the yields from the same land giving a  higher domestic production.  

Better supply chain management systems, better logistics, improved storage facilities are helping in reduction of wastage, saving time, ultimately saving money.  Improvement in the processing machines of the crops are immensely helpful in improving  food quality, shelf life and more importantly the nutrients in the food.  Last but not the least is the advancement in quick commerce which is revolutionary and is giving the comfort of availability of essential commodities in as little as 10 minutes. In short,  the entire industry has evolved, developed and made life more comfortable for all its  partners.  

All these factors have helped to immensely grow the agricultural sector to a tremendous high. Today, agriculture contributes to about 1/5^th of our GDP and approximately 43 percent of the Indian  workforce is involved in agriculture so it is at the core of the economy.  The value added in the basic agriculture products will be the main point of progress in the  coming years.  

Speaking about the future plans for the growth of Millets & More, Viraj Shah quips, “The plans are huge. We have an intent to provide our customers with a much bigger basket of choices. The product range will be immense with our Millet & More brand ranging right from  their breakfast requirements to their dinner needs, all with a promise of keeping its YUMMY taste intact. We have a lot of exciting plans for our company. To those who want to know if we have exhausted our range and surprises for them, all I will say is that ‘Picture toh abhi baki hai mere dost’.
Speaking of the brand`s success at this stage, he says matter-of-factly, “The only thing I have always chased is the growth of the entire ecosystem and its stakeholders.  All the people attached to me should grow with me and that is the only success mantra I  have followed which has helped me till now. Give people their due and success will not elude you.”

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