Tier II cities experience 200% faster growth in protein demand than metros; paneer and egg crowned favorite — Report | Today’s news

India is currently undergoing a major transformation in its dietary habits, moving towards a more deliberate protein-based consumption pattern.

According to recent data from quick commerce platform Swiggy Instamart, the national demand for protein-rich items has grown by 150% in the past two years. While the movement is nationwide, the most notable development is that Tier II+ cities are now at the forefront of this shift, growing 200% faster than metropolitan areas.

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Rise of the Level II Fitness Center

For years there has been a discourse about how high performance nutrition has been largely confined to the major metros. While Bengaluru leads the way in protein demand, the report found that there has been a decisive shift towards “more intentional protein-led consumption” in emerging markets.

Cities like Nagpur, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar, Guwahati and Vizag are leading the charge, proving that the desire for ‘better’ food is no longer limited by geography.

This growth is supported by the transition from the “essentials” basket to the “aspirational” basket.

Hari Kumar G, Chief Commercial Officer, Instamart explained, “Instamart has solved access and convenience; we are now addressing a fundamental shift in the way India consumes… By offering a wide range of protein formats across categories, we are democratizing access to high-performance nutrition.”

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Undefeated Champions: Paneer and Eggs

Despite the influx of modern protein formats like protein bars, plant-based proteins and shakes, the core of India’s protein basket remains remarkably traditional, according to Instamart. Paneer and eggs continue to hold the title of ‘India’s original protein champions’ in the report.

Across the country, these two stalwarts remain unsurpassed in popularity and consistently dominate order carts. In fact, the most common protein pairing identified in the report is the classic combination of eggs and paneer.

While paneer is often paired with various other staple proteins, the combination of chicken and eggs closely follows as the second most popular choice.

A diverse and growing cart

The “Protein Revolution” features a sophisticated, multi-protein approach. Consumers are increasingly adding a variety of items to their carts, including Greek yogurt, makhana, oats and protein-fortified milkshakes, a report from Instamart revealed.

The speed with which these new categories are being adopted is remarkable:

• Protein snack: This category saw 300% year-over-year growth, making it the fastest growing segment on the platform. Protein bars have emerged as an impulse snack, a format that barely existed a year ago.
• Protein yogurt: This category grew by approximately 280%, largely due to the popularity of Greek yogurt.
• Protein milk and shakes: Moving to the area of ​​daily consumption, this category saw a 225% increase.
• Traditional ingredients: Demand for ingredients such as soy chunks increased by more than 100% and tofu increased by almost 87%. Makhana, chana sattu, besan and roasted chana also surged, showcasing a modern protein-focused lens on traditional staples.
• Protein bread saw the highest search-to-checkout conversion
• Sprouted millet and oat-based mixes have seen a surge as protein has moved into breakfast rather than post-workout consumption
• Peanut butter was the most searched protein term.

Read also | From chapatis to cold coffee, protein is popping up everywhere

Comfortable driving consumption

According to a report by Instamart, the peak ordering period for Indian protein needs occurred between 7am and 11am, heavily influenced by breakfast.

Late afternoon and evening were reported as secondary fluctuations associated with meal planning and post-training needs. An interesting shift was also noted towards late night health awareness; Instagram showed a fast growing and emerging behavior of ordering protein products between midnight and 4am.

Largest protein orders in India

From metros to smaller cities, India’s biggest protein carts have come from everywhere:

• The tallest single carriage: User Chennai spent ₹2,71,385, largely on peanut-based protein fibers
• Ultimate one-car splurges:Bombay( ₹22K), Delhi ( ₹21.5K) and Surat ( ₹20.5K), whey protein dominates
• Large ticket bins: Spent by a user from Bengaluru ₹2,09,626 on protein bars only