The Good Food Institute India‘s Smart Protein Summit has recently come to an end after five days of talks. The aim of the summit, which was conducted online, was to make plans for a future where protein is supplied sustainably, tackling malnutrition and creating numerous jobs.
During the summit, participants made some exciting announcements regarding the future of alt-protein in India.
Rajeev Chitrabhanu, the former chief of Morgan Stanley in India, announced he would support and fund alt protein startups in India in conjunction with GFI India. He hopes to expand this initiative across Asia.
“Many of these developments [in alt-protein] are centred on the U.S. and EU, and there is a dearth of support for the industry in Asia,” he said. “With this platform, I’m aiming to empower great entrepreneurs to attain huge scale with the right mentorship and partnerships.”
Meanwhile, Sandeep Singh of pharmaceutical company Alkem Labs announced the launch of his plant-based meat company Blue Tribe Foods, along with his wife Niki. The company showcased its progress on Day 3 of the summit.
Along with industry partners, GFI India introduced an alternative protein industry forum, supported by the World Economic Forum. It hopes to address bottlenecks in the availability of equipment in the alt-protein sector. The aim is to help stakeholders in the industry to collaborate, through a simple platform with no obligations or financial commitments.
Plant-based seafood has a big role to play
Finally, The Good Food Institute said it would be collaborating with the World Sustainability Organization’s Friend of the Sea project to launch sustainability certifications for plant-based seafood.
“Plant-based seafood has a big role to play in alt protein and restaurants and buyers are relying on certification to make purchasing decisions,” said Jen Lamy, Sustainable Seafood Manager at GFI. “Earning the FOTS [Friend of the Sea] logo will help plant-based companies get in front of people making purchasing decisions in retail and restaurants.”
