ICAR–IIMR Launches ‘Girijana Bazar’ – A Mobile Millet Market Empowering Tribal FPOs under Jan Jatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada 2025

12 November 2025, Hyderabad

As part of the ongoing Jan Jatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada 2025 celebrations, the ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, organized an impactful event under the theme ‘Public Awareness Campaigns in Areas with Predominantly Tribal Population.’ To mark the occasion, ICAR–IIMR launched an innovative mobile marketing initiative titled ‘Girijana Bazar’, aimed at strengthening market access for tribal Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and promoting millet-based entrepreneurship.

The Girijana Bazar was inaugurated by Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR–IIMR, at the institute premises. The mobile marketing unit serves as a vibrant and dynamic platform to showcase and sell millet-based and allied products developed by tribal FPOs. The initiative connects farmers directly with consumers while raising awareness about the nutritional, cultural, and economic significance of millets and traditional tribal produce.

ICAR–IIMR Launches ‘Girijana Bazar’ – A Mobile Millet Market Empowering Tribal FPOs under Jan Jatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada 2025 12 November 2025, Hyderabad As part of the ongoing Jan Jatiya Gaurav Varsh Pakhwada 2025 celebrations, the ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, organized an impactful event under the theme ‘Public Awareness Campaigns in Areas with Predominantly Tribal Population.’ To mark the occasion, ICAR–IIMR launched an innovative mobile marketing initiative titled ‘Girijana Bazar’, aimed at strengthening market access for tribal Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) and promoting millet-based entrepreneurship. The Girijana Bazar was inaugurated by Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi, Director, ICAR–IIMR, at the institute premises. The mobile marketing unit serves as a vibrant and dynamic platform to showcase and sell millet-based and allied products developed by tribal FPOs. The initiative connects farmers directly with consumers while raising awareness about the nutritional, cultural, and economic significance of millets and traditional tribal produce. The mobile unit features attractive branding, detailed product information, and messages promoting tribal entrepreneurship, health, and sustainability. It carries an array of locally made products such as millet flours, rava, cookies, muffins, murukku, pasta, and flakes, along with traditional allied commodities including cereals, spice mixes, honey, natural oils, and wellness products, reflecting the rich agro-biodiversity of tribal regions. Speaking at the launch, Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi stated, “Girijana Bazar represents a practical, scalable, and replicable model for FPO-based marketing. It enables collective enterprises to reach wider audiences without large infrastructure investments, while promoting inclusivity, strengthening local economies, and encouraging youth participation in tribal entrepreneurship.” The Girijana Bazar mobile unit can be effectively deployed across tribal regions to organize on-the-move exhibitions, product demonstrations, and awareness campaigns showcasing millet value chains, nutritional benefits, and tribal FPO initiatives. Functioning both as a sales outlet and an educational tool, it provides a unique opportunity to bring information, products, and inspiration directly to rural communities creating awareness, enhancing market linkages, and celebrating tribal enterprise and local food systems. By enhancing the visibility and demand for millet-based products, the Girijana Bazar model expands income opportunities for tribal and smallholder farmers through direct consumer engagement. Serving as a symbol of innovation and inclusivity, the initiative offers a last-mile marketing solution that bridges the gap between production and consumption, presenting a replicable model for FPO clusters across India. (Source: ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad)

The mobile unit features attractive branding, detailed product information, and messages promoting tribal entrepreneurship, health, and sustainability. It carries an array of locally made products such as millet flours, rava, cookies, muffins, murukku, pasta, and flakes, along with traditional allied commodities including cereals, spice mixes, honey, natural oils, and wellness products, reflecting the rich agro-biodiversity of tribal regions.

Speaking at the launch, Dr. C. Tara Satyavathi stated, “Girijana Bazar represents a practical, scalable, and replicable model for FPO-based marketing. It enables collective enterprises to reach wider audiences without large infrastructure investments, while promoting inclusivity, strengthening local economies, and encouraging youth participation in tribal entrepreneurship.”

The Girijana Bazar mobile unit can be effectively deployed across tribal regions to organize on-the-move exhibitions, product demonstrations, and awareness campaigns showcasing millet value chains, nutritional benefits, and tribal FPO initiatives.

Functioning both as a sales outlet and an educational tool, it provides a unique opportunity to bring information, products, and inspiration directly to rural communities creating awareness, enhancing market linkages, and celebrating tribal enterprise and local food systems.

By enhancing the visibility and demand for millet-based products, the Girijana Bazar model expands income opportunities for tribal and smallholder farmers through direct consumer engagement. Serving as a symbol of innovation and inclusivity, the initiative offers a last-mile marketing solution that bridges the gap between production and consumption, presenting a replicable model for FPO clusters across India.

(Source: ICAR–Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad)