Prime Minister Narendra Modi encouraged Bill Gates to cook millet dishes after the billionaire tried his hand at making rotis or Indian flatbreads. PM Modi’s Instagram post for Bill Gates came a day after the Microsoft co-founder appeared in a video with American celebrity chef Eitan Bernath in which the two made rotis together.
The clip showed Bernath explaining that he had recently returned from a trip to Bihar where he met wheat farmers. He then taught Bill Gates how to knead dough, roll it out and cook the roti on a tawa.
“Superb Bill Gates,” PM Modi wrote in an Instagram story while sharing the video. “The latest trend in India is millets, which are known for being healthy. There are many millet dishes too which you can try making,” the prime minister added.
The government is trying to give millet farming and export a boost in its attempt to turn India into a global millet hub. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget speech on February 1 had a special focus on millets.
“We grow several types of Shree Anna (millets), such as Jowar, Raagi, Bajra, Ramdana, Cheena, and Saama…These have a number of health benefits and have been an integral part of our food for centuries,” Sitharaman said in her budget speech.
“India is largest producer and second largest exporter of Shree Anna, to make India a global hub for Shree Anna, Indian Institute of Millet Research Hyderabad will be supported as Centre of Excellence for sharing best practices at international level,” the finance minister added.
