What is
Smart Protein?

The alternative protein sector is at the forefront of global food innovation, with major benefits for people, planet, and profit. Making foods that taste the same or better and cost the same or less than their animal-derived counterparts, with vastly lower impacts on planetary and public health - now that’s smart protein.

Around the world, innovators are creating the meat, eggs, and dairy foods of the future - made directly from plants, cells, or microorganisms. At the Good Food Institute India, we’re laying the groundwork for this sunrise industry in one of the world’s most important countries, and demonstrating a model for a more secure, sustainable, and just food system in the developing world.

here's how we do it

GFI India’s team of experts across science and technology, business, and policy works to build the smart protein sector from the ground up. We build pivotal networks, conduct and freely disseminate high-impact research, and provide critical advisory support.

By working with governments, entrepreneurs, large food and biotech corporations, philanthropies, universities, and other partners across the food supply, we’re putting sustainable protein on the menu. Read more below!

here's how we do it

Build the Early Stage Innovation Ecosystem

GFI India builds the industry from the ground up by providing critical support across the innovation ecosystem. Our GFIdeas India community brings together entrepreneurs, scientists, corporate executives, and investors

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for knowledge webinars, networking, and key partnerships. Our advisory support and knowledge bank of scientific white papers, startup manuals, and market and consumer research nurtures entrepreneurs at every stage of their life cycle. Armed with this knowledge, we target high-impact white spaces, help investors form theses, and build investment vehicles and startup companies from scratch.

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Foster the Next Generation of Scientific Talent

Scientific research and talent will lift all boats in the alternative protein wave. We’re nurturing that talent through partnerships with universities, governments, and the private sector.

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We connect students, food scientists, researchers, and academicians with institutional and for-profit opportunities to create a consortium of research talent pools that can ignite the next generation of smart protein innovation. Our materials are being used to create courses, specialized curriculum, and innovation challenges at major food, agri, and biotech universities, addressing key talent needs in the sector.

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Engage Corporations for Critical Investment

Getting corporate partners involved unblocks key bottlenecks in product development, ingredients, and manufacturing.

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GFI India transforms the food industry from the inside out by helping food processing, biotech, restaurant, grocery, and distribution companies plan for a future of smart protein offerings. Corporate partners benefit from our advisory support, our resources, and our network, and are inspired to enter or support the sector. In bringing them to the table and forging pivotal partnerships with startups and investors, we’re helping the industry achieve rapid scale.

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Advise Institutions for Enabling Support

Governments, philanthropies, and multilateral institutions care about stewarding human and planetary health, and stimulating economic growth. GFI India works in partnership with them to help make this happen.

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We engage at the highest levels of government and grant-making institutions in academia as well as among nonprofits, to advance smart protein through direct strategic advisory, knowledge partnership, and media communications. The entire ecosystem benefits from these initiatives in the form of research grants, business incentives, infrastructure development, and regulatory advancement.

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"Protein is the most expensive source of nutrition on a per calorie basis. We have to figure out how to give people great nutritional offerings which are protein rich and at the same time address this issue of relationship with livestock - and that's where I think the Good Food Institute comes in, in a big way."

"Protein is the most expensive source of nutrition on a per calorie basis. We have to figure out how to give people great nutritional offerings which are protein rich and at the same time address this issue of relationship with livestock - and that's where I think the Good Food Institute comes in, in a big way."

Indra Nooyi
Former Chairperson and CEO, PepsiCo

"This is a huge business opportunity to truly transform India and get into the sunrise sector of new protein. It will provide for our vast population and save resources."

"This is a huge business opportunity to truly transform India and get into the sunrise sector of new protein. It will provide for our vast population and save resources."

Amitabh Kant
CEO, NITI Aayog

"We have to connect the industries of the future with farmers' welfare, nutrition, and the youth of the nation, to put sustainable protein on our plates.
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"We have to connect the industries of the future with farmers' welfare, nutrition, and the youth of the nation, to put sustainable protein on our plates.
"

Hon. Smt. Poonam Mahajan
Member of Parliament