Laying the Foundation for Smart Protein Leadership in India
Laying the Foundation for Smart Protein Leadership in India
My conversation with Devika Suresh, Innovation Specialist at The Good Food Institute India
Devika’s journey into the smart protein sector
Devika Suresh is the Innovation Specialist at The Good Food Institute India (GFI India), where she is dedicated to advancing the country's smart protein sector. Her work involves strategic advisory to startups and building the enabling ecosystem for smart protein.
She also leads the talent and workforce development initiatives at GFI India, focusing on seeding smart protein education, research, and innovation at universities and engaging young Indians in the food systems conversation.
Devika's professional journey began with a focus on civil engineering, a field she chose out of a deep interest in mathematics. She pursued her studies at the National Institute of Technology Karnataka but soon found her interests shifting towards technology and software. This shift led her to incorporate a tech-oriented approach into her academic research and thesis work.
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a significant turning point in her life. Returning to her South Indian home, where meat and dairy are dietary mainstays, she encountered a challenging shift in her eating habits. During the lockdown, Devika immersed herself in extensive reading and watching documentaries on climate change and the food industry. This exposure prompted her to make an overnight transition to a vegan lifestyle, driven by an increased awareness of the ethical and environmental consequences of animal agriculture.
This change also revealed the challenges of adopting a plant-based diet in a predominantly non-vegetarian culture. Recognizing the difficulty of convincing meat eaters to substitute traditional foods with plant-based alternatives, she became increasingly interested in exploring and addressing the gaps within the alternative protein market.
A defining moment in her career was her participation in the India Smart Protein Innovation Challenge (ISPIC) 2020, an initiative by GFI India. While balancing her software job, Devika teamed up with a partner in Bombay and became one of the finalists in the challenge. This experience gave her valuable insights into the smart protein sector and introduced her to GFI India.
Driven by her newfound passion, she reached out to GFI India, which eventually invited her to apply for the Innovation Associate role. Reflecting on her journey, she acknowledges that it was a convergence of the right timing and her readiness to contribute to the sector.
How does GFI India support startups and entrepreneurs in the smart protein ecosystem?
GFI India strategically uses the term “smart protein” instead of “alternative protein” to better resonate with key stakeholders, particularly those involved in policy creation. The term "smart" is chosen to position the industry as a value-added, innovative alternative to traditional animal-based proteins. This avoids the potential negative connotations associated with "alternative protein," which might suggest a disruptive intent toward existing animal agriculture, which is a culturally sensitive area.
GFI India's support for startups and entrepreneurs spans various critical areas, ensuring that both new and established companies can thrive within the smart protein ecosystem. Within the business vertical, the innovation team focuses on guiding early—to mid-stage startups from ideation to market launch. This includes assisting with talent acquisition, fundraising, product development, and co-manufacturing. The organization connects startups with necessary resources, such as investors and co-manufacturing partners, to help them on their journey to the market.
In addition to supporting startups, GFI India engages with larger corporates like Nestlé and ITC, helping them enter the smart protein space. This dual approach ensures that nascent startups and established companies receive the tailored support needed to succeed in the smart protein ecosystem.
On the scientific and technical front, GFI India’s Sci-Tech team advances the sector’s foundation by producing open-access research, offering technical advisory services, and engaging with academic institutions. These efforts include promoting smart protein education through university coursework and advocating for public funding to support these initiatives.
Policy advocacy is another key aspect of GFI India's work. The organization actively works with food regulators to ensure that the regulatory framework supports the growth of the smart protein industry. Additionally, GFI India engages with public funding institutions and government departments to prioritize smart protein on their agendas so that the sector receives the necessary attention and resources.
To further support startups, GFI India offers comprehensive consulting services within its innovation vertical. This includes developing strategic resources like startup manuals, databases, and directories that help startups connect with the right people at critical points in their development. Whether startups need assistance in product development, fundraising, or market access, GFI India provides the necessary guidance to overcome challenges in the smart protein industry.
What are the strategic advantages for smart protein companies in India?
One of India’s biggest strengths lies in its diverse ingredient sourcing. As one of the largest producers and exporters of pulses and indigenous crops such as millet, India is well-positioned to meet the global demand for a variety of plant-based ingredients.
GFI India works closely with producers to enhance the value of these crops through advanced processing techniques, making them suitable for use in plant-based end products. This supports local agriculture and positions India as a potential global sourcing hub for the smart protein sector. The focus on diversifying ingredient sources, including indigenous crops, aligns with government initiatives like the International Year of Millets, highlighting millet's role in smart protein innovations.
India’s young, skilled population, particularly in agri-processing, offers another strategic advantage. The country’s talent pool is highly skilled and cost-effective, making it an attractive destination for global corporations and supporting the growth of local startups. GFI India recognizes the importance of this workforce and supports training programs to enhance these skills further, ensuring that the sector’s specific needs are met.
The entrepreneurial ecosystem in India is another key driver for the smart protein sector. The country is witnessing a growing appetite for innovation, driven by a cultural mindset that values resourcefulness and creative problem-solving, often referred to as ‘jugaad.’ This entrepreneurial spirit is reinforced by initiatives like Startup India, which creates a conducive environment for new ventures. This thriving ecosystem and the ambition across all societal levels to innovate make India a fertile ground for smart protein startups.
India’s ability to innovate and scale at low costs, demonstrated in sectors such as biotechnology and agri-processing, is highly transferable to the smart protein industry. The existing infrastructure can be retrofitted, and the country’s accumulated expertise can be leveraged to support the growth of smart protein startups. This ability to scale up efficiently and cost-effectively is a massive advantage that positions India as a key player in the global smart protein market.
What are the key drivers and setbacks for smart protein adoption in India?
The adoption of smart proteins in India is shaped by a mix of cultural perceptions, economic factors, and strategic opportunities. Devika shared insights into the key drivers and setbacks influencing this emerging sector.
Drivers
On the driver side, cultural and dietary shifts in India play a significant role. While it is commonly believed that India is a predominantly vegetarian country, Devika pointed out that data from the National Health and Family Survey reveals that 77% of Indians identify as non-vegetarian.
However, this does not equate to regular meat consumption, as meat is often reserved for special occasions and consumed only a few times a week. This cultural nuance highlights a growing, yet occasional, demand for meat, particularly among the lower economic sections, creating an opportunity for plant-based meat options to cater to these consumers.
Another major driver is the increasing health awareness among the Indian population. The COVID-19 pandemic heightened the focus on health, with more people becoming aware of protein deficiencies and the benefits of plant-based diets, particularly in managing cholesterol and other health issues. This growing health consciousness has encouraged many Indians to explore plant-based alternatives as part of a healthier lifestyle.
India’s large and upwardly mobile youth population is also a key driver for the smart protein market. As the largest youth population in the world, this demographic is increasingly affluent and influenced by Western trends, including sustainability and animal welfare concerns. With disposable income, this group is willing to spend on new trends, making them a key consumer base for smart protein products.
Government and market support further strengthen the sector. Initiatives like the International Year of Millets underscore the potential for value-added agricultural products to enhance farmer incomes. This support extends to millet-based products in the smart protein sector, which can be sold at a premium, providing significant income opportunities for farmers.
Setbacks
However, several setbacks hinder the broader adoption of smart proteins in India. One of the primary challenges is price sensitivity. The Indian market is highly price-sensitive, and smart protein products are often priced at a premium—two to three times higher than their animal-derived counterparts. While there is some willingness to pay a premium for health benefits, sustained adoption depends on the affordability of these products.
Taste and cultural resonance also pose challenges. Most smart protein products in India are modeled after Western-style snacks, such as patties and nuggets, which do not align well with traditional Indian diets that favor curry formats, kebabs, and biryanis. To gain wider acceptance, these products need to be versatile and adaptable to Indian cooking styles, allowing consumers to integrate them into their daily meals.
Distribution and accessibility remain significant hurdles, particularly in India’s vast and diverse geography. Infrastructural challenges, such as inadequate cold chain infrastructure, limit the availability of smart protein products, which are often restricted to online platforms or premium stores in major cities. Expanding distribution networks is essential for reaching a broader audience, especially in tier 2 and 3 cities.
Lastly, marketing and positioning challenges stem from consumer confusion around vegan, plant-based, and vegetarian terms. These distinctions can be confusing in India, where dairy is traditionally considered vegetarian. As a result, startups in the smart protein sector are experimenting with different positioning strategies to better align their products with consumer expectations and cultural contexts.
How does GFI India develop talent and workforce for the smart protein sector?
ClimateWorks Foundation & Global Methane Hub reported last year that alternative proteins could potentially account for 98% of the economic value ($700 billion) generated by food systems innovations aimed at reducing methane by 2050. They can also create 83 million jobs globally by 2050, which accounts for two-thirds of jobs created across all agricultural methane interventions.
As the smart protein sector in India is still nascent and rapidly evolving, there is a growing demand for a diverse range of roles across the value chain. GFI India recognizes the need to address these talent gaps, particularly in upstream and downstream roles. Upstream roles include those in agricultural sciences, food technology, biotechnology, chemical engineering, materials science, and computational biology.
Equally important are downstream roles in economics, business, law, public policy, and environmental science. The industry requires "cross-cutting talent" to drive innovation and growth, consisting of biologists optimizing plants and microbes for protein production, food scientists developing novel combinations of ingredients, visionary entrepreneurs with the acumen to market and sell products in this new category, and lawyers and policy specialists who can advocate for government action and shape the regulatory landscape.
Multifaceted talent development initiatives
To meet these needs, GFI India has launched multifaceted talent development initiatives. One of the programs is the Indian Smart Protein Innovation Challenge (ISPIC), which GFI India’s primary talent-building and startup acceleration initiative. ISPIC is designed to address the talent bottleneck and foster the early-stage startup ecosystem within the smart protein sector.
The program includes a smart protein fundamentals certification course, one-on-one mentorship from industry and academic experts, dedicated knowledge-sharing webinars, and access to exclusive community events. Over its three editions, ISPIC has comprehensively trained more than a thousand new innovators, creating a dedicated pool of industry-ready talent and accelerating the go-to-market process for over 20 early-stage entrepreneurs.
In addition to ISPIC, GFI India has established smart protein chapters in six top-tier universities across India, including the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and leading food technology and liberal arts colleges. These chapters aim to promote smart protein coursework, encourage student entrepreneurship, and build community awareness around careers in the sector.
To further bridge the gaps in relevant coursework and hands-on training, GFI India has initiated optional courses in partnership with universities. It aspires to establish full-fledged degree programs in smart proteins. These efforts include developing training ecosystems that provide access to laboratories and equipment, enabling professionals to upskill and test their smart protein solutions.
The Smart Protein Forum has also been introduced as a key initiative to foster interdisciplinary collaboration across academia, industry, regulatory, and policy ecosystems. The Forum serves as a platform for scientific minds, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and policymakers to identify opportunities, address challenges, and accelerate progress. It convenes roundtable discussions, working groups, and international conferences to promote knowledge sharing, build open-access resources, and mentor a talent pipeline to drive innovation within India’s growing smart protein sector.
Finally, GFI India has also hosted career showcases, bringing companies and prospective employees together for networking and job matching. Over the past two years, these showcases have successfully connected the organization’s talent database with companies hiring in the smart protein sector, helping to address the industry’s growing demand for skilled professionals.
What’s next for GFI India?
GFI India is preparing for a transformative year in 2024 with a focused strategy across its core pillars: business, science, and policy. The organization is shifting from broad awareness-building efforts to more targeted, impactful interventions to drive the smart protein sector forward.
Business initiatives
GFI India plans to transition from direct startup advisory to developing comprehensive resources that address specific knowledge gaps in the industry. This includes creating a revamped startup manual and a new scale-up manual designed to help startups navigate the complexities of moving from early-stage development to commercialization. These resources will particularly assist in accessing export markets and understanding techno-commercial licensing.
Recognizing the critical role that large corporations play in achieving mass market adoption, GFI India is also focusing on building strategic partnerships with major players like TATA, Nestlé, and ITC. These collaborations aim to facilitate mergers, acquisitions, and product development tailored to the Indian market, making it easier for these corporations to enter the smart protein space with culturally resonant products.
Additionally, GFI India is expanding its network within the food service industry to enhance market penetration. This involves working closely with chefs and food service organizations to integrate smart protein products into traditional Indian dishes. This reflects a strategic pivot for startups from direct-to-consumer (D2C) models to food service channels, where they can better control product presentation and cultural relevance.
Scientific initiatives
On the science front, GFI India is addressing misconceptions that smart protein products are overly processed by conducting comprehensive nutritional studies. These studies aim to provide accurate and realistic information about the nutritional value of plant-based products, helping to build consumer trust.
GFI India has launched the SPARK Fellowship to further support scientific research and innovation. This program supports researchers working on smart protein projects in collaboration with industry and academia. Modelled after the successful ISPIC program, it focuses specifically on advancing research and fostering innovation in the sector.
GFI India also continues its educational outreach through the Smart Protein Project, which operates across six university chapters, promoting coursework, student entrepreneurship, and community building around smart protein.
Policy initiatives
Regarding policy initiatives, GFI India is actively engaging with various government bodies, including the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MOFPI), to ensure that smart proteins are included in national policy discussions. A significant milestone in this effort is the recently announced BioE3 policy and the inclusion of plant-based protein as one of the five pillars at this year’s World Food India event.
On the international stage, GFI India is advocating for the recognition of smart proteins as a climate solution at forums such as COP28 and the United Nations Environment Assembly. The organization is working to link food and alternative proteins with climate action, a connection that is not immediately obvious to many but holds significant potential for global impact.
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