Haldiram's and BVeg Foods set up with GFI India support are putting Plant Protein at the Centre of the food plate for Indian consumers

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 22 (ANI/Hunk Golden and Media): The Indian pioneer Haldiram's restaurant chain is launching the all-new plant based Keema Pao and Keema Samosa in collaboration with plant-based foods company BVeg Foods.
Haldiram, the leading manufacturer of namkeens, sweets, western snacks, and ready-to-eat food ranges are now venturing into the plant protein segment marking a new landmark for the company as well as the plant protein ecosystem.
The launch by the beloved food brand Haldiram's and plant-based meat company BVeg Foods, supported by expert non-profit Good Food Institute (GFI) India, underscores further mass market momentum in burgeoning plant-based foods category.
The Keema Pao and Keema Samosa will be launched as part of Haldiram's winter special menu 2021 offerings across all 80 restaurants spread out in northern India. Made with the goodness of plant protein and fresh vegetables, the keema pao and keema samosa are a retake on classic Indian favourites - lip smacking delicious flavours but without the guilt.
BVeg Foods aims to launch its products through additional channels in the coming months beyond this exciting launch, and consumers can expect to see even more of the varied product creations and part-nerships in the near future.
This launch is yet another significant milestone in the rapidly growing plant-based food industry in India and another feather in the cap for BVeg Foods after their recent success with convenience store chain 24 Seven.
Commenting on the launch, BVeg Foods founders, Akanksha and Prateek Ghai said,"Haldiram's has always been a family favourite with a long heritage of catering to every age group - from the eldest in the family to the youngest. It gives us immense joy to associate with such a pioneering brand and together we believe we can bring protein to the centre of the plate along with a smile to a lot of faces. Our product development and innovation teams have joined hands and gone all out to ensure the products resonate with consumers' all-time favou-rites at Haldiram's and we look forward to receiving the feedback of the people."
Research by expert non-profit The Good Food Institute India shows that the 'smart protein' in-dustry is going from strength to strength, with over $3b invested in 2020 globally and 2021 proving to be a breakout moment for Indian companies.
Expressing his delight, Varun Deshpande, Managing Director, GFI India said, "2021 is proving that India is an exciting market for next-generation, tasty, and protein-rich plant-based foods, particularly in a post-pandemic era. Indian palates are ready for delectable foods which happen to be vastly superior for planetary and public health. The plant-based foods and particularly plant-based meat sector in India is taking off - at the Good Food Institute India, we've worked for 4 years to lay the groundwork of entrepreneurial, scientific, and policy momentum which is coming to fruition in the form of dozens of launches as we speak across the length and breadth of the country."
Varun Deshpande further added, "Today, we're delighted to share with you a particularly exciting launch - BVeg Foods, a manufacturing company set up with GFI India support and focused on providing capacity for the entire industry to produce next-generation plant-based foods, is launching with iconic Indian QSR and packaged foods brand Haldiram's! Plant-based keema pao and keema samosa is being rolled out across 80 Haldiram's locations in North India. The launch marks the first time an Indian QSR has forayed into plant-based meats, and is a marker of the progress in the industry. Cherished brands like Haldiram's can truly scale that impact to the true mass market - we commend BVeg Foods and Haldiram's for this partnership taking the category to the mass market and driving this opportunity. We hope to see many more plant based offering on the menu in the future."
The Indian Market Research Bureau suggests that protein deficiency in Indians is more than 80%, and as per the recent National Sample Survey, India has a declining per capita protein consumption in both urban and rural areas.
Moreover, 93 percent of the population is unaware of their daily protein intake requirement. These alarming stats make it all the more important to emphasise on the importance of protein in our diets and find new ways to incorporate it and these new snack variants ensure just that!
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