Tejaswini Patil: Scaling up through technology, teamwork, and consumer trust

Q: What do you see as the biggest hurdle in adopting these sustainable, millet-based packaging solutions across the food industry, and how do you plan to overcome it?
Tejaswini Patil (TP): The main challenge is recognition and scalability—balancing industry adoption, consumer perception, and cost. Millets are climate-resilient but underutilised; transforming them into functional packaging demands a steady raw material supply, economical processing, and compliance with food safety standards. My strategy is to work with industry entrepreneurs and farmer cooperatives to build a supply chain and to educate consumers and align millet packaging with India’s plastic-ban policies and global climate goals. My strategy blends politics, research, and public awareness to make millet-based packaging widely available, reasonably priced, and effective.

Q: Your millet-based drinking straws are a remarkable innovation. How do you envision these edible straws impacting consumer behaviour and the broader perception of sustainable packaging?
TP: Millet-based edible straws are a behavioural push that makes sustainability noticeable, palpable, and pleasurable in day-to-day living than just a replacement for plastic. When people can eat a straw or watch it biodegrade, it turns sustainability into a personal act. On a larger scale, these straws can shift perceptions of packaging from “waste” to a meaningful part of the dining experience. They merge nutrition, culture, and climate-conscious living, making eco-friendly choices feel like an upgrade rather than a compromise.

Q: You emphasise collaboration with academics and industry to encourage the adoption of eco-friendly packaging. Can you share an example of a successful collaboration with practical applications?
TP: A key academic collaboration was with Prof. Kirtiraj Gaikwad, whose guidance on crosslinking, mechanical strength, and water resistance transformed barnyard millet straws from a creative concept into a viable product. Working with his team of chemical engineering and food science students provided the experimental validation needed for future industry acceptance. 

Q: Your work supports various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Which specific SDG does your research on millet-based packaging contribute?
TP: Although my study supports several SDGs, SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production is the one it most strongly supports. Edible straws made from millet provide a safe, practical, and biodegradable substitute for single-use plastic straws, therefore addressing the urgent need to minimise their usage. At the same time, it encourages the use of underutilised climate-resilient crops like millets, supporting sustainable agricultural methods and resource-efficient production.

Q: With your research gaining both local and international recognition, how do you plan to scale up the production and achieve global impact, especially among GenZ and millennials?
TP: Through a mix of technology and teamwork, I want to collaborate with startups and industry partners to set up pilot-scale manufacturing facilities that can reduce costs and make the films and straws profitable. I also intend to use industry-academia partnerships to modify these materials for various regional food systems. I see a great opportunity to present edible packaging as a lifestyle option for GenZ and millennials, who are very open to innovation and are very concerned about sustainability.