Virat-Anushka turn investor-ambassador for this start-up

Power couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have turned investors and brand ambassadors for plant-based meat brand Blue Tribe, founded by Alkem Labs' MD Sandeep Singh in 2019 and grown with support from Good Food Institute India (GFI). The company offers plant-based keema, sausages, and momos, while preserving the taste and indulgence of meat. 

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma are well known for their animal advocacy and for their cruelty-free lifestyle. The GFI stated that Kohli and Sharma have followed a meat-free diet for years, found plant-based meat to be a ‘revelation’. 

"Virat and I have always been animal lovers. It's been years since we decided to adopt a meat-free lifestyle. The collaboration with Blue Tribe is a step to tell people how they can be more conscious and leave less impact on the planet by switching to a plant-based diet,” said Anushka Sharma. 

Virat Kohli said that he is a foodie and wants to enjoy the kind of food he loves without leaving a huge carbon footprint. "I know a lot of people feel the same way. This is why I believe, if we can have a lower dependence on meat, without short changing our taste buds, there is potential for a planet-changing impact,” Virat Kohli added.

Good Food Institute India MD Varun Deshpande said that “plant-based meats and smart protein foods are demonstrating a model to save the planet, by providing consumers with the indulgence and experience of the foods they crave, without the guilt”.

Sandeep Singh, co-founder of Blue Tribe, said that their products aim at non-vegetarian eaters who want to switch to healthier, environment-friendly products without compromising on the taste. “Our food experts and scientists have been successful in identifying what gives meat its unique taste and texture, and so our products will taste, look, feel and cook exactly like meat," said Singh.

What is plant-based meat?

Plant-based meats are proxy meats that utilise “food science and ingredients made from widely consumed crops such as yellow peas and soya bean, to provide the sensory and cultural experience as meat”, as per GFI. 

“These next-generation ‘smart protein’ foods go far beyond the previous generation of soya nuggets, providing consumers with a choice that has a tiny fraction of the land, water, and energy use and greenhouse gas implications of their conventional counterparts,” it added. 

In a statement, GFI quoted publications from the UN and EAT-Lancet Commission to highlight that industrial animal agriculture has been one of the significant contributors to major planetary health challenges, including deforestation, water scarcity, species and biodiversity loss, and greenhouse gas emissions. It also pointed out NITI Aayog’s report stating that India will suffer from critical challenges including water stress and malnutrition. 

GFI research showed that investment in the smart protein sector globally hit over $3 billion in 2020 and 2021, but none of this came in India. 

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