Inside Andhra’s millet push that is turning women into entrepreneurs

In a modest training hall at SVR Industries in Pendurthi in Visakhapatnam, a group of 30 women sits in a semi-circle, eyes fixed on a table where ingredients are being measured with precision. Jowar powder is folded into moong dal flour, water is added at careful intervals and the dough is kneaded until it turns supple. Soon, it is pressed into thin strands of noodles and later steamed and sprinkled with curry leaves and peanut powder.

On another table, a fermented ragi java (porridge) is whisked into a milkshake and reworked into a cold coffee variant. A participant from Srikakulam follows the trainer and tosses cooked foxtail millet with cucumber, onion, mint, tomato, raw mango and pomegranate, finishing it with lemon and ginger juice, sunflower seeds and a generous sprinkle of peanuts podi. Leading the session is nutritionist Himanshu Kapoor, who guides each step with a mix of technical clarity and cultural memory.