In India, around 9–11 main varieties of millets are commonly recognized and cultivated, depending on whether you count only traditional “small millets” or also include pseudo-millets like buckwheat and amaranth.

Quick Scoop

If you go by the classic agricultural classification used in many Indian farm and exam resources, India typically talks about 9 primary millet types :

  • Pearl millet (Bajra)
  • Finger millet (Ragi)
  • Sorghum (Jowar)
  • Foxtail millet
  • Little millet
  • Kodo millet
  • Proso millet
  • Barnyard millet
  • Browntop millet

Some newer health and nutrition–focused lists expand this to about 11 types by also including crops like buckwheat (kuttu) and amaranth (rajgira) under the broad “millet” or “nutri-cereal/pseudo-millet” umbrella, since they are used similarly in diets and fasting foods.

So, for an exam, textbook, or government-agriculture context, you can safely say:

India cultivates about 9 principal varieties of millets (major + minor), with some modern classifications stretching this number to roughly 11 when pseudo-millets are added.

Major vs minor millets (in one line)

  • Major millets: Pearl millet, sorghum (and often finger millet), grown on larger areas.
  • Minor/small millets: Foxtail, little, kodo, proso, barnyard, browntop, etc., grown on smaller pockets but very nutrient-dense.

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