Pearl millet/Bajra (Pennisetum glaucum) is the most widely grown type of millet. It goes by several common names, including Bulrush millet, Babala, Ddukn (in Sudan), and Bajra (in India). It appears to have emerged and first been domesticated in the Sahel zone of West Africa, which is known to be the crop's main center of diversity. It has been grown in Africa and on the Indian subcontinent since prehistoric times. Bajra is the major cereal crop grown in the hottest, driest areas of the world, where rainfed agriculture is practiced.

Bajra is not just a resilient and dependable source of energy, but also a good source for other dietary needs, especially micronutrients. It is the world's hardiest warm-season cereal crop. It can survive and produce grain even on the least fertile soils in the driest regions, on highly acidic and saline soils, and in the hottest climates. It is also mainly consumed as cattle/poultry feed in India apart from its consumption in food purposes.

Bajra is grown in more than 30 countries located in the arid and semi-arid tropical and subtropical regions of Asia, Africa, and Latin America.