In India, plant-based meats are becoming more popular. These companies claim their products are better for the body and the environment than animal-based meats. The category includes ready-to-cook items (such as mock-meat nuggets, momos, and ready-to-cook biryani) and raw materials (such as sausages and kheema.)
Because India has a high protein deficiency, many of these companies are positioning their products as protein and fibre rich to attract a health-conscious audience. According to Sanjay Sethi, executive director of the Plant-Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA), the Indian plant-based meat sector is expected to grow to USD 400 million in the next two years, with over 200 plant-based meat, dairy, egg, and ingredient startups currently operating in India.
Indian celebrities are also investing in this sector. Cricketer Virat Kohli and his wife Anushka Sharma announced plans to invest in Blue Tribe Foods, another startup in this space, in 2022.
Genelia and Riteish Deshmukh, Bollywood actors and couple, announced their foray into entrepreneurship in 2021 with plant-based meat company Imagine Meats.
Olympic gold medalist Neeraj Chopra is also associated with the Good Dot plant-based meat brand. Good Dot sells a variety of ready-to-cook meat substitutes that can be whipped up in a flash.
Blue Tribe was founded by Sandeep Singh and his wife, Nikki Arora Singh. Sandeep Singh mentions over the phone that the company derives flavours in its products by texturizing protein so that the final product has a texture and consistency similar to actual meat.
“Our TG is not vegetarians or vegans; they don’t eat meat in any case.” We want to reach out to non-vegetarians, flexitarians, and health-conscious eaters. “Whether it’s dairy or eggs, we want to create plant-based alternatives to all animal-based products,” Singh says.
Abhishek Sinha, the co-founder of Good Dot, agrees that his target audience isn’t always vegetarians and that young people motivated by environmental and ethical concerns are increasingly eating plant-based meats.
Blue Tribe’s products are available through direct-to-consumer channels, modern retail, and general trade outlets. It also has restaurant partnerships public at luxury hotels such as Mumbai’s Four Seasons and the Taj Group of Hotels.
“Animal farming is the world’s second-largest source of greenhouse gases, after the transportation industry.” Antibiotics are used extensively in animal husbandry, and when humans consume them, they contribute to antibiotic resistance. “There are numerous advantages to eliminating animal meat from our diet,” Singh explains.
When asked if plant-based foods are a fad, Good Dot’s Sinha disagrees, calling it a long-term shift in our consumption pattern. “Since our commercial launch in 2017, we have grown nearly 100 per cent yearly.” “Every month, we sell anywhere from 10 lakh to 12 lakh units of GoodDot products,” he says.
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