Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) have collaborated with international retail hypermarket chain Lulu Group to facilitate millets export from India to the Gulf Cooperation Countries (GCCs).

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed at the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC). Under the agreement Lulu Group will popularise millet value-added products.

Lulu Group is an international retail hypermarket chain. 

Lulu Group operates stores and shopping malls across Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, India and Far East. 

2023 is the International Year of Millets (IYoM). In its endevour to promote IYoM 2023, APEDA is organizing export promotion activities for millets in 16 International Trade Fairs, including Gulfood 2023 where the agreement signing took place. Gulfood 2023 is the world’s largest annual food exhibition.

During April-November 2022-23 India has exported millets worth $46.05 million. The UAE is a major importing country.

According to estimates, the millets market is set to grow from its current value of more than $9 billion to over $12 billion by 2025.

According to the Directorate General of Commercial Intelligence and Statistics (DGCIS) data, India registered a growth of 8.02% year-on-year in the export of millets in the financial year 2021-22 to 159,332.16 tonne.

The collaboration will facilitate promotional activities for millet products and allow India to display millets and their value-added products, ready-to-eat products in international retail chains sourced from FPOs/FPCs/SC/ST/Women entrepreneurs/Start-ups/new entrepreneurs.