McDonald’s, Amul, Reliance bet big on protein-powered foods
India is witnessing a protein revolution as McDonald’s, Amul, startups, and government labs launch protein-infused foods, tapping into rising demand amid widespread protein deficiency and aggressive celebrity- and cricket-led marketing.
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In South India, a 30-cent protein slice is quietly rewriting fast food history. McDonald’s has teamed up with Indian government food scientists to create its first-ever vegetarian protein topping, which sold out within hours of launch, Reuters reported. But the craze goes far beyond the Golden Arches as protein is emerging as the new battleground for India’s $1.5 billion nutrition market.
From Amul’s high-protein dairy products to Bollywood star Ranveer Singh’s startup SuperYou selling protein chips, and even Reliance dabbling in protein cookies, a wide mix of global giants, startups and state-backed labs are racing to fill a massive nutritional gap.
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India has the world’s largest vegetarian population but is also among the most protein-deficient. Religious bans on beef, high chicken costs, and cereal-heavy diets have left 73% of the population short of protein. For brands, this isn’t just a trend as it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to push protein into mainstream daily diets, from milkshakes and paneer to breads and ice creams.
The protein wave is being fueled by glitzy marketing, cricketers grooving in Instagram reels for Amul, Ranveer Singh mocking “guilty potato chips” in ads, and McDonald’s kiosks flaunting protein counts instead of calories. But scientists like Aashitosh Inamdar of India’s food tech research institute stress the deeper mission: “To save our population, we need to put protein into something edible, affordable, and acceptable.”
