Indian Mock Meat Startup ProMeat Uses Underutilized Indigenous Crop, Seeks Funds To Expand

12 February 2021

The growing sustainability trends driven by consumer demand as well as conscious business practices are gradually taking over all business spaces. One aspect of sustainability which has especially seen growth in the past few years is plant-based meat.

The environmental consequences of animal agriculture have been frequently reiterated in the past few years. The industry is a greater contributor to greenhouse gas emissions than all of the transportation industry combined. Even the United Nations recently recommended a plant-based diet as the greatest way to reduce individual environmental impact.

Amidst this flourishing trend of ethical and environmentally-conscious consumption, an Indian startup, ProMeat, has joined in the alt protein scene by developing a plant-based meat with an innovative technology and an exciting new ingredient.

The Origin of ProMeat

The brainchild of Debabrata Das, CEO and co-founder of ProMeat, the idea for the startup was inspired by the growing popularity of plant-based meats in the U.S. Das keenly observed international mock meat brands entering the market in an attempt to create a sustainable and ethical meat alternative and decided to follow this path.

“While it's true that advancements in Asian countries take time, it's better to start late than never. Moreover, India has a large vegetarian middle-class population which is still growing. So a mix of sustainability and huge market potential has prompted us to take up alternate meat as a business strategy,” shares the CEO.

The Good Food Institute India played a major role to bring this idea to reality. Das was connected to notable speakers, stakeholders and investors through the Institute which proved fruitful in developing the company. With the assistance of alumni Shardul Dabir, he organized a Future of Food workshop and a Start-Up Expo in his university in 2019. 

In 2020, ProMeat emerged victorious in the India Smart Protein Innovation Challenge, receiving a price of one lakh rupees. Das shares the team's experience with the challenge and how it facilitated in the company's growth saying:

“During the challenge, we were provided with the MOOC course on smart protein which included new product development, upcoming new technologies and a lot more. Good Food Institute (GFI) India also organised an enormous number of expert sessions, webinars, live demo, Q&A sessions, 1-1 mentoring sessions, etc. This challenge is the main motivation towards starting this company, and we have achieved a lot in such a short time. And the provided prize money helped us to invest more in R&D.”

Meet the Founders (L to R): Debabrata Das (CEO), Pranjuli Garg (COO) and Sugriv  Gupta (Technical Head)

The Product and Sustainability

ProMeat has taken sustainable and economical food development to the next level with their use of an underutilized indegenous crop - Elephant Foot Yam. Found in abundance in the country’s Eastern states, Elephant Foot Yam can easily replicate the texture of meat with the right technology. 

The startup uses a cutting-edge technology along with this sustainable crop to create mock meats suited to diverse taste preferences. Moreover, ProMeat’s product surpasses the nutritional value of meat. They claim to have a higher protein content than chicken, as well as good fats.

The debut products, a plant-based chicken patty and kebabs have been created keeping the taste of Indian consumers in mind.

ProMeat's Vision

ProMeat was born with the aim to contribute towards a food system with a low carbon footprint, as well as eliminating animal cruelty in industrialized agriculture.

“The ongoing pandemic has shown that it is wise to rely on local natural resources. This might be a stepping stone for boosting local produce and encouraging traditionally grown crops in the Indian diet, with a slight variety and different taste.”

In the past six months, the team has conducted about ten trials of their product, including sensory analysis, and has received a positive response regarding texture and flavour. They are currently working on some improvements to release the best version of the product in the market. The startup's immediate goal is to set up a secure supply chain for raw materials.

ProMeat's website is ready with updation in progress

Funding and Future Plans

The company is currently open to seed funding, mainly to develop their infrastructure and manufacture their product in-house, as well as for Research & Development. They are hoping to expand and hold a significant portion of the alternative protein market in the next two years.

“We are looking forward to working harmoniously and will be happy if foreign brands invest in India. The ulterior motive is accomplished if more a number of players enter the market, i.e. awareness and subsequently acceptance.”

As for plans on expanding the company in the coming years, the CEO said, “We have planned to procure quality raw ingredients via supply chain companies, after which we’ll go on to distribute our product by D2C and e-retail in and around Delhi by the end of 2021. By 2022, we will expand and collaborate with restaurant and hotel chains. We will formulate and alter our plans as per the consumer demand.”

ProMeat is not only keen on growing their own brand, but wishes to see the concept of smart protein become more commonplace in the Indian market.

"As per the domestic scenario, we want more companies to come in this space to raise awareness in Indian consumers about smart protein. So in the long run, it will help us place ourselves in such a large market."