Food fortification is moving from policy documents to retail store shelves. For small and medium-sized millers (from the SME segment), new commercial channels of retail are opening up and institutional procurement is becoming accessible to them.
Several national health surveys indicate that more than 67% of children aged 6-59 months and more than 59% of adolescent girls in India suffer from anemia. Nearly three out of four women of reproductive age have inadequate dietary iron intake, leading to fatigue, weakened immunity and reduced workforce productivity.
According to the latest government estimates, food grain production is more than 350 million tonnes, the majority of which is wheat and rice. Strengthening of these staples translates into volume potential for SME millers, which can be achieved even with modest market share in packaged flour, as consumers become more health conscious.
Here’s a practical playbook for SME millers to turn the wave of fortification into business profit:
get technically ready
Food fortification requires a precise micro-feeder, a dynamic blender in rice mills, a reliable premix supply and basic QA (quality assurance) sampling. Therefore, partnering with accredited premix suppliers, FRK manufacturers and using third party laboratories for periodic verification builds credibility.
Build quality systems that pay dividends.
Quality assurance systems, such as traceability logs and internal audits, help reduce rejections and strengthen buyer confidence. These systems form a great foundation and support comprehensive risk management, whether entering institutional tenders or modern trading.
Lock in institutional demand first
Institutional buyers in workforce nutrition, such as school lunch programs, midday meals, maternal nutrition schemes and food security programs, now require fortified staples. Government of India mandates only fortified rice in major schemes of PDS (Public Distribution System) like Poshan Abhiyaan, ICDS, PM Poshan and others.
Use retail branding and packaging to educate As far as retail is concerned, fortified products compete on trust. Simple labeling with +F endorsements that symbolize strong benefit-based staples (for example, “With iron and folic acid for women’s and child health”) can help change purchasing behavior.
Have a partner instead of doing it alone
To reduce upfront costs, SME millers can look for alliances and technology partners. In particular, development partners and industry forums provide training, marketing toolkits and links to institutional buyers, reducing time to market and costs.
Model economics before scaling
Interestingly, the incremental cost of premix and FRK often adds less than 0.1-0.5 percent to production costs, while enabling new revenue streams through institutional contracts and branded retail flour.
convey value
If the message links consumers’ daily benefits to real outcomes like increased energy, stronger immunity, better maternal health, or better child development, etc., they more readily adopt fortified staples. When the message is well aligned with scientifically validated benefits (as outlined by FSSAI and WHO guidelines), trust is strengthened.
millers for nutrition
Initiatives such as Millers for Nutrition play a catalytic role by supporting millers in their journey towards food fortification, including strengthening their technical and quality systems to improve their market readiness and consumer communications. By bringing together premix suppliers, equipment providers, regulators and development partners, this initiative helps millers confidently adopt fortification while building commercially sustainable, nutrition-focused businesses. SME millers have a clear and straightforward choice. Food fortification is a low-capital expenditure, high-impact adjustment that will strengthen compliance, unlock institutional volume, and create a branded retail offering that consumers will pay for once they understand the benefits. Small and medium mills can turn public-health priorities into business profits with smart partnerships and disciplined quality systems, helping to reduce India’s micronutrient deficiencies while building more resilient, future-ready businesses.
The author is Country Program Manager at Millers for Nutrition, India
Published on February 22, 2026
