Shree Anna is a concept and a government initiative to rebrand and promote millets, or coarse grains, in India. The term, which translates to "the honoured grain" or "the mother of all grains," was officially introduced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during the Union Budget 2023-24 presentation on February 1, 2023.
The initiative was created to solve the problem of declining millet consumption and to provide a sustainable, nutritious alternative to water-intensive crops like rice and wheat. Millets, which include varieties like Jowar, Raagi, Bajra, and Saama, require less water and fewer inputs, making them climate-resilient and beneficial for small farmers in arid regions.
The core mechanism involves making India a "global hub" for Shree Anna research and technology. To achieve this, the Indian Institute of Millets Research, Hyderabad, is being supported as a Centre of Excellence for sharing best practices internationally. Promotion of millet cultivation is also integrated into existing agricultural programs, such as the National Food Security and Nutrition Mission (NFSNM) and the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (PM RKVY).
The concept is closely connected to the International Year of Millets, which the United Nations declared for 2023 at the request of the Government of India. The most significant recent change is the adoption of the honorific Shree Anna in the 2023-24 Budget, replacing the generic term "millets" or "coarse grains" to elevate their status and increase their popularity. This national push follows a successful state-level program, the Shree Anna Abhiyan, launched by the Government of Odisha in 2017.