Whey protein prices soar in India: Why your daily scoop is getting expensive

For entrepreneur Akhila Vijayaraghavan, whey has always been a convenient way to get 100-120 grams of protein every day. “I train regularly, so it was an easy addition to my routine and helped me consistently hit my protein intake,” she says. This is why she couldn’t help but notice how much whey prices have increased over the last few months “I understand that there are broader supply and import issues behind the increase, particularly because India is so heavily dependent on imported whey. But for a consumer, the result is pretty simple: something that used to be an everyday purchase suddenly feels expensive,” she says.

For instance, a kilogram of True Basics and Whole Truth whey concentrate, which once cost around ₹2500 last year, has gone up to around ₹3500, a clear leap of nearly ₹1000, points out Akhila. Other brands aren’t far behind, either. Optimum Nutrition, the protein brand associated with numerous elite athletes, including Neeraj Chopra, Rishabh Pant, and Priya Punia, is currently pricing 4 kg of its Gold Standard 100% Whey Protein at ₹17,649, while the same amount of MuscleBlaze’s Biozyme Performance Whey is ₹13,999, an over 20% jump from last year, when they were about ₹15,000 and a little over ₹10,000 respectively.

According to Vijay P, operations and procurement manager at Chennai-based OMG Labs, a functional nutrition brand offering both whey and plant-based protein products, this sudden hike is not the result of a single event, but of several forces coming together. Though India has a large dairy industry, we still do not produce enough whey for the protein supplement industry because much of our dairy processing focusses on products like milk, curd, paneer, and ghee rather than large-scale cheese production, Vijay explains. “Whey is mainly obtained as a by-product of cheese manufacturing, and because domestic availability is limited, we depend significantly on imports.” This means that when there is a shortage or price increase in the international market, it directly affects the Indian market, says Vijay.

Freight costs, currency fluctuations and other import-related costs also add to the final prices,” he says. For instance, whey isolate prices, which were ₹2,200 per kilogram exclusive of GST in December last year, now cost around ₹3,400. “Apart from the whey, we also have to account for the flavours, packaging, other raw materials, labour and manufacturing costs, which have pushed the overall finished product cost to ₹4,200-5,000 from ₹3,000-3,600, depending on quantity and customers.”

The price spike also stems from a significant increase in demand for dietary protein that current supply just can’t meet. “We are going through a protein bubble right now where everyone is talking about it, so everyone is aware of and looking for protein,” says Chennai-based fitness and nutrition coach Raj Ganpath.
 

Referance :
https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/whey-protein-prices-soar-in-india-why-your-daily-scoop-is-getting-expensive/article71554298.ece