Protein x D2C

Hey readers,

Welcome to the third edition of D2C Cents!

This edition? We talk about:

• Protein, positioning and profits

• The sharpest D2C news that matters.

Let’s get into it.

Remember green tea? A few years ago, it was just for weight loss junkies.

Now it's a staple health SKU for most tea brands, commanding better margins than regular chai.

Protein is following the exact same path.

In India, whey protein = gym bros. Not a part of mom’s shopping list.

We will watch a reel on how to get 100g protein from natural sources, but would think twice before buying a pack of whey protein.

And our D2C brands have weighed in(pun intended) with a hack (or jugaad?) around it. Put protein in everyday meals!

With awareness around protein at an all time high, it’s moving from gym shelves to everyday products, letting brands charge premiums without changing their core operations.

Brands have protein-ified dahi, paneer, kulfi, water, dessert, wafers and even dosa batter

And it’s not just working like a charm, it’s printing money!

The 3-Pillar Profit Formula

Pillar 1: Premium Pricing Power

The numbers are crazy (in your favor):

Let’s look at Amul:

And the dosa giant, iD:

Same brands, same shelves, 2-3x margins.

Pillar 2: Low Customer Acquisition Cost

You're not hunting new customers. You're upselling existing ones.

Your current customer base already trusts your brand and buys your regular dosa batter/kulfi/cookies.

Launch the protein version → position as "premium upgrade" → existing customers migrate to higher-margin variants.

Low new customer education. Low acquisition spend. Pure margin expansion.

Pillar 3: Operational Leverage Advantage

Why do existing F&B brands have the chance to dominate this space?

The validation? Amul didn't start as a protein company. They protein-ified existing products using current infrastructure. Instant hit!

Beyond F&B: The Cross-Category Opportunity

This isn't limited to food:

The playbook works across categories.

Take familiar products, add functional benefits, charge premiums.

Your ₹12,000 Crore Action Plan

Here’s your cheat sheet:

1. Think meals, not macros. Indians don’t count grams. They crave familiarity. Roti, dosa, paneer. Make them protein-first.

2. Flavor beats function. Kesar badam milk beats vanilla whey. Local > Global.

3. Extend existing SKUs. You don’t need a lab or a new factory. Use co-manufacturers already producing protein-rich variants.

4. Positioning Matters. If product innovation is a challenge, product positioning can help you win. If your product naturally contains protein, highlight it to attract health conscious consumers.

5. Build the vertical. Like green tea became a category, protein can become your margin-multiplying vertical.

The Bottom Line: Protein isn't just a trend. It's a profit lever which runs parallel with a health movement.

The market is worth $1.52B in 2025, projected to hit $2.08B by 2030.

If you are building a D2C F&B brand (or planning to build after reading this), this is a golden opportunity.

A chance to make the next Indian meal more protein powered!

And ofcourse…fundamentally better unit economics for your brand!

If the stories this week tell us one thing, it would be the fact that D2C wins are not easy.

Speed beats perfection. Execution beats ideation.

Be it Amul capturing the market before pure-play protein brands could enter or ZILO betting on speed before fashion giants catch up.

What's your unfair advantage? Are you moving fast enough to protect it?

Reply to this edition and tell us your story. We’ll give a shoutout to the one that stands out!

See you next edition - same time, sharper insights.

Until then, keep building.
Abhishek