The Protein Fix

 IF YOU GO TO THE INSTAGRAM PAGE OF THE movie star Ranveer Singh, there are exactly two posts. The first is about an upcoming movie. The second, newer one, is a small advertisement for SuperYou, a protein powder. He co-owns the company making the brand. The powder is not the only product they have; there are bars, etc, revolving around yeast-based fermentation to make proteins. It is one of the many startups that have come up to tap into a trend—the increasing desire of Indians to consume proteins. This, in turn, is the reflection of a health phenomenon.

Studies keep reiterating how important protein is in daily intake. Earlier, this was in the form of a nebulous suggestion, but now numbers are attached to it. This can range anywhere from 1gm to 2gms per kilo of body weight, depending on health goals. But even at 1gm, someone weighing 60kgs needs 60gms of protein. This is difficult to achieve without eating meat. The majority of Indians are non-vegetarians, but they don’t eat it daily. Unlike the West, where protein is the main highlight of a dinner plate, like a steak, with other elements like carbohydrates and vegetables surrounding it, the traditional Indian meal doesn't consider protein at all. Dal is mistaken as a major source, but its contribution of 60gms of protein is fractional. That was all fine until one was not keep­ing an eye out for protein.

Take a post on Reddit, eight months ago, under a thread with a question—“Girls, what are your daily protein sources?” One of the replies was by a vegetarian who trained five to six days a week, listing what she ate daily. Her breakfast had besan cheela but also high-protein muesli from a company called Yo­gabar. Before her workout, she had a blueberry pro­tein milkshake from Amul. After the workout, there was a scoop of whey protein. For an evening snack, she occasionally had a protein bar from a brand called The Whole Truth. Altogether, she was taking between 110gms and 120gms a day, without any meat. The post ended with these words, “Yes, I spend a fortune on supplements and shakes. I understand that not everyone can afford to do so, but this has worked best for me because I find it impossible to hit protein goals without supplements.”

The routine encapsulates the many ways— muesli, milk­shake, protein bar, whey—in which the market is feeding into this demand through fortification of products. Amul, the dairy cooperative, for example, has been on a protein binge lately. Last year, at its 50th annual general meeting, its chairman said in his speech, “There is a growing demand for healthier dairy prod­ucts, including high-protein, low-fat, and lactose-free options. We have launched High Protein Milk, High Protein Whey concen­trate in plain and chocolate flavour, High Protein Paneer addition to the High Protein Buttermilk, High Protein Lassi, Lactose Free Sweets, Sugar Free Cookies, Ice Creams, Flavoured Milk and Lassi which have been received well by our consumers.” Its entry into the whey protein market is noteworthy. This is a niche product typically associated with those who work out at gyms. In June this year, IMARC came out with a study that estimated that the size of the market in India was US$180 million in 2024, which would increase to US$240 million by 2033. It added, “Further, the preventive healthcare wave is evolving the demand base of whey protein from bodybuilders to seniors and immunity-focused consumers.”

In July this year, McDonald’s introduced a new element to their menu, called Protein Plus. This is a thin slice of what looks like a burger patty packing in 5gms of protein. It is derived from pea and soya. Its press release stated, “When you look at the nutritional info of a particular McDonald’s menu item, you can do the math to note your protein intake. Say, our McSpicy Paneer Burger has 20.29 grams of protein per serving—with Protein PLUS, that makes it 25.29 grams of protein per serving.” Interestingly, this product was developed by them in collabo­ration with a government body, CSIR-Central Food Technologi­cal Research Institute, indicating how public-private partner­ships are now addressing protein requirements.

An organisation that popularised the term for such prod­ucts—smart proteins—is Good Food Institute (GFI) India, which is creating an ecosystem for alternatives to proteins made using animal-derived ingredients. Around 2018-19, they first noticed—and subsequently supported—smart pro­tein startups emerging in India. It picked up during Covid. Around 2022, big FMCG companies came into the space, like Tata Consumer Products and ITC, with meat-like analogues. In 2023, when GFI India came out with a report on the state of the market in the country, there were over 100 startups in this space. After an initial boom, there was a global slowdown, par­ticularly in investments coming in. The market was not ready for bio-mimicked meat products. The technology had not progressed enough to mimic the taste, and price was a barrier. Mansi Virmani, head of strategic communications, GFI India, observes that the startups however evolved and pivoted. She says, “They are currently positioning these products through B2B, food service and exports, and many times, we won't even notice how these startups are advancing. A recognition of that can be seen in the protein slice now available at McDonald’s.” Gooddot is one of the leading plant-based meat companies in India, and their products are being served by Haldiram’s and Domino’s. “Many big hotels and QSR chains have these products as part of their menus, and that’s the route that a lot of these startups are taking to build familiarity for their products,” she says.

While Indians are becoming more aware of protein consumption, the country remains deficient. According to Virmani, per capita meat and fish consumption is among the lowest in India even though gross numbers might be high be­cause of the size of the population “Urban populations with upward mobility show increased animal protein consumption but it’s largely an urban skew, and rural areas still suffer from protein insufficiency and malnu­trition, partly due to increased consump­tion of cereal-heavy diets and processed foods over nutrient-dense options,” she said. “A 2025 study shows 70 to 80 per cent of households in India are not consuming recommended amounts of protein.” Smart proteins when produced in a scalable way using local ingredi­ents, she believes, have the potential to address this challenge, particularly malnutrition.

Because of the boom in protein prod­ucts, an issue rearing its head is authen­ticity. Last year, a study, titled ‘Citizens Protein Project’, published in the jour­nal Medicine tested 36 popular protein powder brands in India and found a number of irregularities. This ranged from protein much less than quantities mentioned on the label, and more worryingly, presence of harmful chemicals. The paper said, “Most protein supplements did not meet the labelled and advertised protein content, while certain brands surpassed the stated levels, rais­ing concerns about potential “protein/amino-spiking.” In addi­tion, the major brands contained detectable fungal toxins and pesticide residues. Furthermore, many major formulations contained harmful heavy metals such as lead and arsenic, and some featured hepatoxic herbal extracts, particularly green tea extract, turmeric, Garcinia cambogia, and Ashwagandha.”

The absence of trust has led to protein startups that brand themselves as being clean and honest. Like The Whole Truth, which pitches transparency as a USP and is becoming increas­ingly popular among consumers despite a price mark-up. It is valued at around `2,000 crore. It recently did an advertising cam­paign where brawny bodybuilders did a spoof on the Madhuri Dixit hit number ‘Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai’ tweaking the lines to ‘Protein Ke Peeche Kya Hai’ (What is behind the protein?) as a dig on the kind of products sold in the market. Ironically, The Whole Truth was itself in the middle of a small controversy when its Cranberry Protein Bar was found to have candied cranberries, which have added sugar. The company quickly owned up to its mistake, stating it was something they had overlooked in the supply chain.

Protein consumption moving beyond fitness enthusiasts to everyday Indians is expected to keep increasing, and so also the market that this wellness phenomenon creates in its wake. It is entering into all kinds of unexpected products. Recently, a number of food companies even came up with protein fortified idli and dosa batter. And then there is Aquatein, a brand that bills itself as protein water. They also have Aquatein Pro, which is more protein added to the protein water! n