Millets gained prominence at CHEFEX India 2026 in Chandigarh, where Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria encouraged chefs, food entrepreneurs and hospitality professionals to strengthen their engagement with traditional grains, organic produce and value-added food systems.

Inaugurating the exhibition at Parade Ground, Sector 17, Kataria advocated moving Punjab's agricultural economy beyond basic commodity production towards stronger value addition. His remarks emphasised closer connections between farmers, food processors, chefs and markets as a pathway for strengthening the region's food economy.

Millets featured prominently in this message. Kataria linked healthier soil and agricultural sustainability with greater adoption of relatively low-input crops such as millets, while encouraging culinary professionals to consider their role in shaping future food demand.

The message has particular relevance for the millet industry because chefs, restaurants, institutional kitchens and food entrepreneurs can help move millets beyond their conventional forms. New recipes, processed foods and contemporary food-service applications can potentially create additional market opportunities for millet producers and processors.

CHEFEX India provides a commercial setting for such connections. The PHDCCI-organised exhibition covers food processing, hospitality, catering, retail and distribution, bringing together suppliers, institutional buyers, entrepreneurs and HoReCa professionals. Its official programme specifically includes grains and cereals, organic products, processing technology and food-industry equipment.

More than 700 chefs participated in the showcase, according to the event report. Punjab's Principal Secretary for Food Processing, Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, also highlighted the importance of taking Indian culinary innovations to international markets and discussed the role of the PMFME scheme in supporting brands developed by women entrepreneurs.

For the millet ecosystem, CHEFEX illustrates an important connection between agriculture and downstream food innovation. Expanding millet consumption depends not only on increasing cultivation but also on developing appealing foods, efficient processing, entrepreneurial opportunities and reliable market channels.