The Fact Maker

Vegolution India Launches Hello Tempayy – Plant-Based, Protein-Rich Food Products – In Hyderabad

Hyderabad: To a city that is famous for its cuisines and flavours, Vegolution India Pvt. Ltd., a Bengaluru-based food start-up introduces Hello Tempayy. For the first time in Hyderabad, consumers will have access to a new, versatile-ingredient tempeh in a range of unique, ready-to-cook products that are nutritious, wholesome and 100% vegetarian. These are high-protein, low-carb, packed with vitamins and a clean label offering. Made from non-GMO soybeans, Hello Tempayy offers easy-to-cook products that can be adapted across cuisines, meal occasions and cooking styles. It offers a welcome change for vegetarians and fitness enthusiasts who seek new healthy alternatives and variety to add protein to their meals.

Hyderabad is the fourth largest consumer market in India, making it the perfect second market to launch Hello Tempayy, after Bengaluru. The product, available in four flavours, would be accessible on Big Basket, BB Daily and Suprdaily, followed by retail stores, cloud kitchens and restaurants by the end of July 2021.

Hello Tempayy products fit right into the ethos of Hyderabad based UrbanKisaan that brings customers the cleanest, most nutritious food choices for their daily consumption. FarmBowl by UrbanKisaan now offers Hello Tempayy as a new vegetarian protein to their menu of healthy, wholesome & nutritious meals. As the plant protein market evolves, Vegolution will look at introducing more products and flavours, suitable to various taste palates in India.

Vegetarians in India struggle to find sufficient variety in their daily diets to suit their taste profile and meet the essential protein and vitamins required to meet their nutritional needs. As a result, meals can get monotonous, and consumers are looking for new staples on their main plate. Vegolution is actively working with a network of chefs, nutritionists, fitness coaches and home-chefs to demonstrate the ease of use and versatility of tempeh to customers. Vegolution aims to associate with sporting and other government institutions to provide tempeh as an affordable ingredient to enhance nutrition.

Hello Tempayy, is currently available in four variants: Natural, Simply Sriracha, Peppery Szechuan Chilli and Spiced Tawa Masala and is priced between Rs. 130 and Rs. 150 for 200 gm. packs.

Business Model

Vegolution India Pvt. Ltd. is self-funded by Siddharth Ramasubramanian and Los Angeles-based Rajit Malhotra, a seasoned food-tech, health & wellness investor and entrepreneur, and former

McKinsey Managing Partner, along with several strategic investors who are leaders in FMCG, Hospitality and Private Equity. The India journey for Vegolution India started in Bengaluru in March 2021 with the setting up of a custom-designed production facility, with state-of-the-art fermentation technology to ensure consistency in quality. The facility currently has a production capacity of over 120 tons of tempeh, annually. Based on the output and demand seen over the past few months, this facility would be adequate to service southern India in 2021-22. Plans are underway to explore setting up of Vegolution’s second facility, in Telangana in late 2022. With the aspiration of taking India from protein-gap to protein-positive, Vegolution aims for Hello Tempayy to roll out across B2C and B2B channels in five cities in the next 12 months, as well as establish a pan India presence over a period of five years.

The Market for Tempeh    

According to the Union Government’s Baseline Survey (2014), approximately 70% of the Indian population is non-vegetarian. However, annual per capita meat consumption in India is among the lowest in the world – at under 5 kgs – as compared with the West, which ranges from 75 to 90 kgs. This is because a majority of Indians who are non-vegetarians consume meat a few times a week or month. The number of vegetarian meal occasions far surpass those that offer non-vegetarian food.

Paneer and dals are the go-to food for vegetarians looking to increase their protein intake. Paneer is estimated to be a $9 billion market in India (Edelweiss Dairy Report, 2017). In the absence of other healthy options that are versatile and tasty, Hello Tempayy products are well suited to capture a share of this very large market. With growing awareness about healthy eating, protein requirement and clean-label products, aspiring Indian middle-class households (income of over Rs. 1 lakh/ month, 25-30 million households, with an average of 4-5 members each) are seeking new products and options.

Data from the Indian Dietetic Association (IDA), 2018 indicates that at least 84% of Indians are protein deficient, which leads to associated health conditions. Through this new age offering, Hello Tempayy offers the perfect mix of great taste, versatility, and balanced nutrition to break the monotony of vegetarian protein options on the main plate. Numerous other reports over the years also highlight that Indian vegetarians have poor levels of Vitamin B-12 and more than 50% of the women in India are iron deficient. Rounding out its nutrition profile, Hello Tempayy products are fortified with Vitamin B-12 and iron, making them a one-of-their-kind superfood. With great flavour absorption, a hearty texture, and a mild nutty flavour, this is the perfect ingredient to add variety to daily diets. It is easy to cook and can be seamlessly incorporated into a variety of cuisines, making it perfect for curries, stir-fries, kebabs, rolls and so much more.

What is Tempayy?        

 Tempayy (traditionally spelt Tempeh or Tempe) dates back several centuries and is made by a natural culturing and controlled fermentation process that binds soybeans into a cake form. It is packed with protein, fibre, and good fats, giving vegetarians, fitness enthusiasts and conscious foodies a delicious, nutritious, and healthy, plant-based, protein-rich food. Research has shown benefits for overall health, including muscle gain and weight loss. It is also a great food option for diabetics. Tempeh is one of the best-kept protein secrets for consumers looking to make healthy food choices. Dairy-free and gluten-free, it is also low in saturated fats and carbohydrates and good for the gut.