Mumbai’s Varsha Rajan Berry, co-founder of clean-label food brands — Homemakerz and Senseful – is busy developing “healthy” instant noodles that are baked (not deep-fried) and gluten-free, to add to her range of millet-based, beetroot, soya and spinach noodles and pastas. Her start-up has grown 5X in six years, in line with the larger consumption shift towards nutritious food and clean labels. At a recent webinar held by the Market Research Society of India (MRSI) on India’s ‘Eat Economy’, Berry said consumer awareness on health foods has risen thanks to widely available information on digital media, influencer content, and online communities. The demand for cleaner, minimally processed foods is growing and brands are adding nutrition to familiar formats such as noodles, pasta, rice, idli and dosa, to make healthy eating more convenient.
Consumers seek healthier food but the bulk of it is still consumed in the traditional formats, said Ravikumar Narayanan, director at market intelligence firm Elastic Tree. Its proprietary study on food consumption across 15 cities showed traditional staples such as roti, rice, poha and idli continue to dominate. “People are looking for nutrition in homemade food and reviving conventional ways of consuming millets in bajra and jowar rotis. Of course, the packaged formats are growing gradually, riding on convenience,” Narayanan said.
Good-for-you products – high on protein and fibre and low on salt and sugar – are on the radar of start-ups and large FMCG companies. Zydus Wellness has expanded its Max Protein portfolio adding ready-to-drink shakes, ghee-jaggery protein bars and Korean-flavoured protein chips. Bhupesh Desale, business head, Neo Foods at Zydus Wellness said India faces a significant protein gap, and “we believe consumers should be able to get protein in formats that naturally fit into their existing lifestyles.”
ITC Ltd recently launched protein-rich, sugar-free cookies that are free of trans-fats, the company said. In February, Marico Ltd acquired a stake in plant-based protein supplement company Cosmix that also makes functional foods like protein pancake mixes. A March report by Plant Based Foods Industry Association (PBFIA) and Ipsos, noted that the health-conscious and digitally connected youngsters are choosing plant-based foods and the industry is responding with innovations. India’s plant-based foods industry grew 19 per cent between 2022 and 2025, with a potential to reach ₹5,500 crore by 2034.
Zydus Wellness’ Desale said protein has moved beyond athletes and fitness enthusiasts and is becoming a nutritional priority for families, working professionals, and young consumers. The demand is propelling growth in convenience driven formats without compromising taste. “The future lies in products that allow people to indulge more mindfully while supporting their wellness goals,” Desale said.
Ali Harris Shere, business head for Snack Foods and Beverages Division at ITC Ltd, said protein will remain a key growth driver as consumers recognise its importance in supporting muscle health, immunity, and overall wellbeing. “Fibre is another segment that will continue to see momentum. In India, 70% people do not consume adequate fibre daily, therefore gut health will continue to be a critical focus area. Lastly, convenient health solutions will play a pivotal role, as time-starved consumers look for accessible formats…,” Shere said.
ITC created the Right Shift brand to address consumers above the age of 40. “Right Shift products are designed around their evolving nutritional needs for gut health, higher protein intake, and clean-label formulations,” Shere said. However, he added that the company views young consumers as an opportunity shaping their innovation pipeline to include high-protein formats, on-the-go functional products and healthier indulgence.
Yet Elastic Tree’s Narayanan and Senseful’s Berry said that currently the buzz is bigger than the actual adoption of health foods which is moving slowly. Consumer awareness continues to be a challenge, said Desale, adding that despite increased interest in health and wellness, there’s need to educate consumers about daily protein requirements and the role of balanced nutrition. Other challenges are affordability and accessibility.
Health food rage isn’t translating into mass scale as yet, said Narayanan. “Despite the noise, it still hasn’t reached that inflection point. But the long-term opportunity is big as health consciousness, urbanisation, and demand for convenient nutrition continues to grow across India,” said Desale.
