Minor millets are a versatile crop that performs well in regions with erratic rainfall, or low-quality arable land but research has paid little attention to improving the crop and the way it is cultivated and used. MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) and partners have been working with tribal farming families in the Indian states of Uttarakhand, Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to increase production and commercialisation of three minor (little millet, finger millet, foxtail millet).The project partners also worked with rural women to add value and develop popular snack foods.

With support, the women have established their own shop, and their 'Kolli Hills Natural Foods' branded products are being distributed across the state including to high-end supermarkets and health food stores in peri-urban and urban areas.