Whey isolate rises to ₹3,400 from ₹2,200 in India
Whey protein just got a lot pricier in India: whey isolate now costs around ₹3,400 per kilogram, up from ₹2,200.
The main reasons? Global demand is high and India doesn't produce enough locally.
Regular users, like entrepreneur Akhila Vijayaraghavan, say what used to be an affordable fitness staple has suddenly become much harder on the wallet.
India imports could spur protein innovation
India's dairy industry mostly focuses on milk and ghee, not cheese (which produces whey as a byproduct), so we rely heavily on imports.
Add in rising shipping costs and currency swings, and prices shoot up even more.
Vijay P, operations and procurement manager at Chennai-based OMG Labs, a functional nutrition brand offering both whey and plant-based protein products, thinks this could push Indian companies to make more whey at home.
Meanwhile, Sahil Kukreja, co-founder of The Func Lab in Mumbai, says, "Sustained whey premiums will also encourage innovation in plant proteins and other protein sources."