A DEEP DI VE INTO THE

‘ E A R LY- A D O P T E R S’ O F
P L A N T- B A S E D M E AT I N
INDIA
Rajyalakshmi G Husain Kurawadwala
Market & Consumer Insights Research Associate
Specialist The Good Food Institute India
The Good Food Institute India

Credit:Shaka Harry
E X E CUTIVE SUMMARY
Plant-based meats from the time of their launch have been growing at a
steady pace across global markets suggesting a major transformation
in the way food is produced and consumed in the world. Plant-based
meat was worth USD 1.4 billion in the US in 2021 and has grown at
74% over the previous 3 years.

Though still targeting the early adopters, the Indian market has seen
a number of launches in this space in the last 2 years with companies
launching products in 19+ Indian cities, an Indian plant-based meat
brand running ads on TV, and mainstream celebrities endorsing and
investing in the category. To further accelerate the category in India,
it is essential to understand the profile of the target audience and
their usage and attitudes related to the consumption of conventional
meat which can provide cues for the manufactures in terms product
development, positioning, and pricing strategies for the sector.

Early adopters for plant-based meat in India are young (25-44 years),
well educated with higher incomes, living in urban areas. They are
omnivores with a meat eating frequency higher than the rest of the
population.

For them, meat eating has moved beyond special occasions and is
part of their daily meals now. They consume a variety of animal-
based meats and different cuts like leg pieces, wings, breast, ribs,
mince, and more. They are also experimenting with different formats
in each meat type - from fresh to marinated to frozen-depending
on the occasion of the consumption. Poultry and fish are a part of
their staple consumption while mutton and shellfish take over the
special occasions. Meat is an integral part of dishes cooked at home
or ordered in.

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Whether it ’s home cooked or ordered, biryani emerges as the most
loved dish among early adopters followed by gravies with meat.
Snacking items and sides like fish fry, chicken tikka, lollipops, leg
pieces, and kebabs are also popular with these audiences.

Early adopters find the experience of meat eating extremely

satisfying , describing it as indulgence, rewarding and nourishing .
Therefore, it is extremely important that manufacturers recreate not
only the taste, but also the other sensorial aspects of conventional
meat such as aroma, juiciness, texture, sizzle and more to be able to
get a share of the plate.

1 in 4 early adopters are looking at reducing their consumption

of conventional meat in the future. They have a high positive
disposition towards plant-based meat with 77% of them willing to
try the category. Though early adopters are willing to pay a price
premium, it is important to improve affordability and also work on
availability for wider diffusion of the category.

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TA B L E O F CO NTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2

INTRODUCTION 5

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES AND METHODOLOGY 7

KEY FINDINGS 8

SECTION 1 - IDENTIFYING THE PROFILE OF THE EARLY 8

ADOPTERS OF PLANT-BASED MEAT

A. Analysis framework for identifying the profile of the early adopter segment 10
B. Profile of the early adopters of plant-based meat 11

SECTION 2 - USAGE AND ATTITUDES OF EARLY ADOPTERS OF 13

PLANT-BASED MEAT TOWARDS CONVENTIONAL MEAT

A. Penetration of animal-based products 14

B. Frequency of consumption of animal-based products 15
C. Place of consumption of animal-based products 16
D. Key occasions for consumption of animal-based meat 17
E. Key parts of the day for the consumption of conventional meat 19
F. Where was it prepared? 20
G. What was the protein used? 21
H. Type of meat purchased 22
I. Type of cuts used 23
J. Key outlets for purchase of animal-based meat 24
K. Drivers of consumption for animal-based meat 25
L. Who else alongside early adopters takes part in the consumption of conventional meat? 27
M. Average quantity consumed and price paid for animal-based meats 29
N. Most popular animal-based meat dishes consumed 30
O. Sentiments/feelings after eating animal-based meat 31

SECTION 3 - ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE CONSUMPTION OF 32

CONVENTIONAL MEAT IN THE FUTURE

SECTION 4 - AWARENESS, TRIAL, AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS 35

PLANT-BASED MEAT

SECTION 5 - PERCEPTION OF THE PROTEIN CONTENT OF 38

VARIOUS ANIMAL-DERIVED AND PLANT-BASED MEATS

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I NT RO D U CTION
Consumer segmentation is a crucial starting point for both scholarly
and market research. By identifying populations that are most
interested in a specific product, we can study their attitudinal and
sociodemographic profiles in order to:

• Best understand them

• Develop products that meet their needs
• Target marketing messages toward individuals in this segment. 1

Grounded in the Diffusion of Innovation theory, 2 this report provides

an a tt i t u di n a l a n d so c i o d e mo graphic profil e of t he e ar ly adopter
segment for plant-based meat (PBM) in India along with their usage
and attitudes towards conventional meat.

1
Sze j d a , U r b a nov ich, & Wilks, 2 019; S zejd a , Ash er, & Bu sh n ell , 2019
2
D O I ; Ro ge r s, 2 0 0 3

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D I F F USI O N O F INNOVATION
The Diffusion of Innovation theory categorizes people according to
their willingness to adopt an innovation:

1. Innovators are the first to try a new behavior, product, or idea

(and may even be its creators, as the name implies).
2. Early adopters are people who are comfortable with innovations
and are cognizant that change is often inevitable.
3. The early majority need to see evidence of the innovation’s
worth prior to their adoption of it.
4. Late majority individuals are skeptical and more reluctant to
embrace change, only adopting an innovation once it becomes
the norm in their society.
5. Laggards are bound by tradition and suspicion, and fervently
dislike change.

Due to their likelihood of consuming and purchasing a new category

sooner than other consumer segments, appealing to early adopters
will be the most strategic point of entry for any new category such
as smart protein. Community members often turn to early adopters
for approval of an innovation before they themselves try it.

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Early adopters of plant-based meat
and their usage and attitudes towards
conventional meat

Key re s earc h o b j ec t i ves

1. Identif ying the profile of the early adopters of plant-based meat.

2. Understanding the usage and attitudes of early adopters towards
conventional meat and identif ying oppor tunities for plant-based
meat.

Research methodology

Research was conducted in 2 phases. Phase 1 was aimed at understanding

the profile of the early adopters and phase 2 at understanding the usage
and attitudes of early adopters towards conventional meat.

Phase 1 - Identifying the profile of the early adopters of plant-

based meat

• Quantitative survey done via online panels of Qualtrics.

• Field work was conducted in Oct-2018 among a sample of 1036
respondents in the age group of 18-65, both male and female.
• Responses were collected through a self-administered question-
aire.
• Questionnaires were administered in English and had a length
of about 15-18 mins.

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Phase 2 - Understanding the usage and attitudes of early adopters
towards conventional meat

• Quantitative survey done via online panels of Ipsos.

• Field work was conducted in Nov-2020 among a sample of 500.
• Questionnaires were administered in English and had a length
of about 15-18 mins.
• Target Group: Profile of the early adopters of plant-based meat
identified in phase 1, viz: age 25-44, graduates/postgraduates,
monthly household income of INR 50,000+, living in urban areas,
omnivores.
• Since the field work was conducted during the COVID-19
outbreak, it is reflective of the attitudes and behaviors exhibited
by the target audience due to the pandemic.

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K E Y F I N D I N G S:
SEC TION 1
IDENTIFYING THE
P R O F I L E O F T H E E A R LY
A D O P T E R S O F P L A N T-
B A S E D M E AT

Credit:Eat Just
A . Analysis framework for identif ying the
prof ile of the early adopter segment

Profile of the early adopter is identified using 2 parameters:

• Respondents who reported being “very or extremely likely ” to

pay more for plant-based meat than they would for conventional
meat, and
• Respondents who reported being “very or extremely likely ” to
regularly purchase plant-based meat.

Since initial market prices are generally higher than their conventional
meat counterparts, those who are more likely to pay more for plant-
based meat and those who are interested in regularly purchasing
plant-based meat can truly be labeled as early adopters.

Our analysis is focused on a comparison between the early adopters

(as characterized by those willing to pay more or those interested
in purchasing regularly) and the full sample. Interpretation of the
profile of early adopters should therefore focus on the differences
between the early adopter subgroup and the full sample and should
not be compared to the country ’s census data.

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B. Prof ile of the early adopters of plant-
based meat

1. Young (25-44), graduates with higher incomes, living in urban

areas are more likely to pay a price premium and are also likely to
purchase them regularly.

2. Omnivores (non-vegetarians) are more likely to pay a price premium

for plant-based meat and are also likely to purchase them regularly.

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 3. Early adopters consume conventional meat on a daily basis
almost. Higher likelihood to pay a price premium and regular
purchase intent seen among the consumers who eat conventional
meat 8+ times in a week.

4. Looking at all the data points, early adopters for plant-based meat
can be summarized as young, well-educated with higher incomes,
living in urban areas. They are also omnivores who consume
conventional meat almost on a daily basis.

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SEC TION 2

U N D E R S TA N D I N G
U S AG E A N D AT T I T U D E S
OF CONVENTIONAL
M E AT BY E A R LY
A D O P T E R S O F P L A N T-
B A S E D M E AT

Credit:Good Food Conference

A . Penetration of animal-based products

• Dairy products, eggs, poultry, and fish have the highest penetration
among the early adopters, followed by mutton and shellfish. Pork and
beef have the lowest penetration.
• Penetration of meat increases with the increase in affluence. Higher
penetration seen in the MHI 1 of INR 100,000+ as compared to the
respondents in the MHI of INR 50,000-100,000.

1
MHI (Monthly Household Income)

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B. Frequency of co nsumption of animal-
based products

• On an average, early adopters consume conventional meat for

half of their meals in a week (doesn’t include dair y and eg gs). Out
of the 28 meal occasions in a week (breakfast, lunch, snack, and
dinner), around 14 meals have meat in them.
• Similar to penetration, poultr y and fish take the highest share in
frequency as well.
• Dair y and eg gs are typically consumed 4-5 times a week (dair y
5.4 times and eg gs 4.7 times a week).

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C. Place of consumption of animal-based
products

• Early adopters consume conventional meat both at home and out

of home. 8-11% of the early adopters consume dair y products,
poultr y, mutton, and fish only out of home. The “Only out of home”
categor y of consumption increases significantly for shellfish (20%),
beef (24%), and pork (29%).
• Acceptance at home or the dif ficulty in availability, cleaning , and
cooking ef for ts could be some of the reasons for out of home
consumption.

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D. Key occasions for consumption
of animal-based meat

• Conventional meat has moved beyond special occasions and

entered weekday menus for the early adopters. Some of the key
occasions for consumption of conventional meat include “regular
weekday meals, get-togethers with friends/family, Sunday/weekend
special meals, birthdays, anniversaries, parties at home, marriages,
festivals etc”.
• Around 20% of occasions revolve around eating meat as par t of a
diet plan or as a cheat/special meal showcasing the likeability and
versatility of meat.

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• Higher income groups consume meat as par t of their normal weekday
meals and also for special occasions, reiterating the fact that
meat consumption increases with af fluence. Meat consumption as
weekday meals is higher among the 35-44 age group compared
to the 25-34.
• This leads to oppor tunities for plant-based meats to develop and
position products across occasions from weekday menus to special
occasions.

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E. Key par ts of the day for the
consumption of conventional meat

• Lunch and dinner are the key day parts. However, there is an
opportunity for breakfast and snacks as well. Weekend meals,
birthday/anniversary specials, festivals, marriages, and office
meetings have good potential for snacking opportunities.
• With consumers being more open to experimentation in the snacks
category, plant-based meats can explore this space with indulgent
and ‘easy to make’ snack options.

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F. Where was it prepared?

• 1 in 3 meals with meat is ordered from outside. Weekday meals

with meat are generally home cooked. Special occasions like
parties, drinking at home, festivals, office meetings and cheat
meals which have meat, have a relatively higher incidence of
ordering from outside.
• Only 5% of these occasions were outside, at a restaurant. This
is on account of restaurants not being fully operational and
change in behaviors due to COVID-19 during the fieldwork period
(Nov ’2020).
• Food service could be a great starting point for plant-based meats
to create awareness and make an entry into the households.
Occasions like drinking at home, festivals, office meetings, get-
togethers could be the low hanging fruit.

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G. What was the protein used?

• Poultry dominates the share of occasions, followed by mutton

and fish. Weekday lunch and dinner have the highest proportion
of chicken and fish consuming occasions. Mutton and shellfish
take a higher share when it comes to special occasions.
• Mutton is mostly consumed for Sunday/weekend specials, get-
togethers with friends, marriages and other special occasions
and lunch/dinner with colleagues.
• Shellfish is preferred for Sunday/weekend specials, birthdays/
anniversaries, drinking with friends, marriages, and other special
occasions and cheat meals.
• Beef has a higher share in diet plans and lunch, dinner with
colleagues.

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H. Type of meat purchased

• Fresh meat dominates across occasions. However, formats like

marinated/chilled/frozen/ready to heat are making inroads for
‘special meal’ occasions, signaling a need for convenience and
easy cooking.
• With modern trade being a key channel, plant-based meats can
explore the formats like marinated/chilled/frozen etc and can ex-
plore both main meals and the easy to make, indulgent snacks
segments.

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I. Type of cuts used

• Leg pieces (57%) are the most bought cut across occasions
showcasing the love for eating meat with bone. Their share goes
up further for special occasions like get-togethers with friends/
drinking and cheat mea ls.
• Usage of ribs, chops goes up for special occasions like weekend
meals, birthdays, anniversaries, get-togethers and festivals.
This also corroborates with the increase in mutton consumption
for special occasions.
• Eating with bone is an important component of eating conven-
tional meat, be it leg pieces, ribs or chops. It would be critical
for plant-based meats to work on these formats to increase the
consumer appeal.

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J. Key outlets for purchase of animal-
based meat

• Conventional meat was bought from modern trade outlets (grocery

and meat, online and offline) for close to 50% of the occasions.
• Regular meals and Sunday special meals have more occasions
with meat ordered from a local butcher shop. Birthdays &
anniversaries, drinking at home, office meetings, cheat meals
have a higher proportion of orders from online meat stores.
• With modern retail accounting for half of the shopping occasions,
there could be great synergies that can be explored for the plant-
based meats category in terms of storage and distribution.

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K . Drivers of consumption for animal-
based meat

• Taste is the primary driver for consumption of meat, followed

by convenience. Along with the taste, the entire gastronomical
experience of juiciness, aroma and bones is also important.
• Unlike the majority demographic, meat consumption among early
adopters is also driven by health and their daily protein require-
ment.
• While price might not be appearing in the top stated drivers, it is
critical in driving the wider diffusion of the category.

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• Versatility (can be used to make a lot of preparations) is an
important driver for weekday menus and for occasions like
marriages. Cravings are a key driver for cheat meals.
• Easy to cook and clean is an important driver for special occasions
like get-togethers, festivals, birthdays/anniversaries. This is
definitely an opportunity area that the plant-based category can
explore by offering better convenience and similar indulgence as
conventional meat.

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L . Who else alongside early adopters,
takes par t in the consumption of
conventional meat?

• On an average, the group size of the recent consumption occasion

was 5.2.
• Normal meals have the lowest group size with 5 people.
• Birthdays/anniversaries, festivals, marriages and special meals
have a higher group size of ~6.
• Respondents along with the spouse are the key decision makers
in terms of which type of meat to be brought and what dish to be
prepared.
• Friends are part of occasions like get-togethers, drinking and
cheat meals. Extended family is part of occasions like birthdays,
anniversaries, drinking at home and marriages.

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• Kids influence the choices during festivals, marriages and cheat/
special meals. Friends also have a say during the get-togethers.

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M. Average quantity consumed and price
paid for animal-based meats

• Average quantity of conventional meat used per occasion was 1.1-

1.2 kilos for early adopters. Price varied from meat to meat with
chicken being the lowest @ INR 379 for 1.2 kg, fish @ INR 531 for
1.2 kg and mutton @ INR 662 for 1.3 kg.
• With meat being a part of day to day meals, the per capita
consumption for early adopters comes to around approximately
77-84 kg /annum. This is closer to the per capita consumption of
developed countries like the US (100 kg/annum) and the UK (60
kg /annum) compared to India (3.5 kg/annum).
• Though the early adopters are willing to pay a price premium for
plant-based meats, it remains a challenge for long term usage.
Looking at the case studies from the developed countries, one
has to achieve price parity with the conventional meat at the
earliest to convert the trials into regular consumption.

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N. Most popular animal-based meat dishes
consumed

• Whether it is home cooked or ordered in, biryani emerges as the

most popular dish with the early adopters. Butter chicken and
different types of curry preparations using conventional meat are
the other most popular dishes both at home and ordered from
outside.
• When it comes to ordering meat dishes from outside, fish fry,
chicken lollipop, chicken tikka and roast chicken are popular.
Along with them there are mentions of chicken pakoras, leg pieces,
kebabs, momos, pizzas etc.
• The wide range of snacks ordered from outside once again confirms
the hypothesis on the snacks category being low hanging fruit
for plant-based meat.

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O. Sentiments/feelings after eating
animal-based meat

• Feeling energized, satiated, indulged, rewarded, nourished

are the most common emotions felt after having a meal with
conventional meat.
• Around 15% of early adopters felt that the meal with meat was
heavy, difficult to digest, felt acidic or felt guilty after eating.
These feelings increased for meals during drinking, festivals, and
cheat meals.
• This is a great positioning area for plant-based meats, offering
similar indulgence of conventional meat without the heaviness
or guilt associated with the same. Occasions like cheat meals,
drinking, and festivals could be low hanging fruit for plant-based
meat.

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S E C T IO N 3
AT T I T U D E T OWA R D S
CONSUMPTION OF
C O N V E N T I O N A L M E AT
IN THE FUTURE

Credit: Good Food Conference

 • 1 in 4 early adopters claim that they would not consider consuming
animal-based products like chicken, fish, mutton, and dairy/eggs
in the future. Approximately 40% of the early adopters wouldn’t
consider eating beef and pork in the future.

• Product related barriers (hygiene of the meat procured, smell,

ease of cooking, and heaviness on the stomach post consumption)
along with the increasing consciousness about animal cruelty,
impact on planet are some of the reasons why early adopters
are looking at reducing their conventional meat consumtpion.

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• COVID-19 also had an impact on the consumption of conventional
meat. 22% of the early adopters have reduced the amount of
meat consumed and 6% of them have either totally stopped
consumption or stopped consuming some types of meat. 19%
reduced consumption during the initial days of the pandemic,
but returned to the same levels of consumption now. Higher
age groups, women, and income groups of INR 50K-100K have
a higher proportion of users who reduced consumption during
the initial days of COVID, but recently returned to pre-pandemic
consumption patterns.
• Plant-based products have a great opportunity to make in-roads
among these audiences by handling the product related barriers
and communicating the impact on planet and animal cruelty.

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S E C T IO N 4
AWA R E N E S S , T R I A L ,
A N D AT T I T U D E
T OWA R D S P L A N T-
B A S E D M E AT

Credit:Eat Just
High positive disposition towards plant-based meats observed
among the early adopters in both phases of research viz. phase 1,
identifying the profile of the early adopters of plant-based meat in
India (conducted in 2018) and phase 2, usage and attitudes of early
adopters of plant-based meat towards animal-based meat (conducted
in 2020). 54% of the early adopters have high awareness about
plant-based meats in 2020 and this is an increase over 2018. 53%
of the aware consumers are also willing to pay a price premium
over conventional meat.

Awareness and attitude parameters 2018 2022

Are aware of plant-based meat 39% 54%

Are likely to try plant-based meat 74% 77%

Are likely to purchase them regularly if they find

71% 73%
the taste and texture similar to conventional meat

Claim to eat plant-based meat as a replacement

71% 62%
for conventional meat

Are willing to pay a price premium 53% 53%

In terms of the nomenclature, the majority of early adopters (51%

of them) think “plant-based meat” is the right term to describe this
category, closely followed by “vegetarian meat” (48%) and “vegan
meat ” (41%).

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Early adopters rate plant-based meats higher than conventional
meat on ethical and health parameters.

• Plant-based meat scores better than animal-based products on

sustainability, impact on the environment and animal cruelty.
• They also find plant-based products exciting and appealing. Early
adopters rate them higher on health and nutrition compared to
animal-derived products.

Early adopters do not rate plant-based products highly superior

on taste, affordability, and convenience compared to animal-
based counterparts at this stage. Among the meat types, poultry
and mutton have the highest appeal if produced using alternate
methods. Although proteins like dairy, eggs, and fish have higher
penetration in conventional form, they have relatively lower appeal
if produced using alternate methods.

While the health and ethical reasons can be the starting points in
generating interest in the category through trials, it is crucial for
entrepreneurs to achieve competitive taste profiles, prices, and
convenience for sustained interest and repeat purchases. Bridging
these gaps can help in the wider diffusion of the category at a faster
pace.

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SEC TION 5
PERCEPTION OF THE
PROTEIN CONTENT
O F VA R I O U S A N I M A L /
P L A N T- B A S E D P R O D U C T S

Credit:Eat Just
• Eggs and milk are perceived to be high in protein content
compared to the other animal based and plant-based sources.
• Fish and poultry are perceived to have the highest protein content
among conventional meat items, while beef and pork are rated
the lowest by consumers.
• Health and protein requirement being one of the key drivers for
the consumption of animal-derived products, it is essential to
educate the consumers on the protein content of various plant-
based products and also to match up to the protein content of
animal-based products.

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T H A N K YO U
To learn more, vist: w w w.g fi-india .org
ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Rajyalakshmi G
Market & Consumer Insights Specialist, The Good Food Institute India
rajig@gfi.org Rajyalakshmi G | LinkedIn

Rajyalakshmi focuses on helping GFI India size the opportunity for

smart protein in the Indian market, execute its extensive consumer
research agenda, and meaningfully drive the market forward in
the alternative protein space. Raji has over 15 years of experience
working in strategy, business insights, and analytics for stalwart
consumer brands including Unilever, AC Nielsen, Aditya Birla Retail,
and McDonald’s. She loves working on big datasets to identify growth
opportunities and create strategies across various P’s of marketing.

Husain Kurawadwala
Research Associate, The Good Food Institute India
husaink@gfi.org Husain Kurawadwala | LinkedIn

Husain holds a Master ’s degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics

from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Through his
experiences with organizations like the World Wildlife Fund and
Soybean Innovation Lab, Husain has worked on international
research projects to understand the impact of food production and
consumption from a holistic perspective (environmental, economic,
and health).

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ABOUT GFI INDIA

Since our establishment in 2017, GFI India has served as the

central expert organization, thought leader, and convening body in
the Indian ‘alternative protein’ or ‘smart protein’ sector. As part
of an international network of nonprofits with partners in the U.S.,
Brazil, Israel, and Asia Pacific, GFI India is on a mission to build a
secure, sustainable, and just global food system. With unique insight
across science, business, and policy, we are using the power of
food innovation and markets to accelerate the transition of our food
system toward alternative proteins. In building the sector from the
ground up in India, we’re aiming to establish a model for its growth
all across the developing world.

To learn more about our work and the smart protein ecosystem in
India, visit us at www.gfi-india.org or on

Twitter: @GoodFoodIndia

Instagram: @goodfoodinstituteindia

LinkedIn: The Good Food Institute India

YouTube: GFI India

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