Chaayos, Tim Hortons and Starbucks push protein drinks as whey costs surge
Indian café chains are adding protein beverages through brand partnerships as demand expands beyond fitness users. The launches come amid sharply higher whey prices and rising investment, manufacturing capacity and deal activity across the nutrition market.
What happened
Chaayos, Tim Hortons India and Tata Starbucks are launching protein beverages through brand partnerships as Indian demand broadens beyond fitness users. Rising
Key facts
- Whey protein prices increased four-fold
- India protein market valued at nearly Rs 15,300 crore in 2025
- India protein market projected to reach Rs 21,000 crore by 2031
- Milky Mist commissioned a Rs 40-crore Tamil Nadu plant
- At least four digital-first protein brand deals are in the market
- USV acquired 79% of Wellbeing Nutrition for Rs 1,583 crore
- Arboreal Bioinnovations raised Rs 230 crore
- Provilac raised $14 million
Why this matters
Café chains and nutrition players have growing rationale for partnerships or acquisitions that secure whey supply, formulation capabilities, distribution reach and trusted consumer brands.
What to watch
- Wholesale whey and whey-protein concentrate prices, import costs and INR currency movement.
- New Indian dairy-processing capacity, whey isolation facilities and investments by nutrition ingredient suppliers.
- Frequency of protein-drink repeat orders versus first-time promotional purchases at café chains.
- Price gap between protein beverages and standard cold coffee, shakes and breakfast combos.
- Growth in plant, soy, pea and milk-protein menu formulations as a substitute for whey.
- FSSAI guidance, labeling scrutiny or consumer disputes around protein content, added sugar and health claims.
- Partnership announcements between café chains, supplement brands, dairy companies and quick-commerce platforms.
- Secure multi-year protein input contracts, including domestic whey-processing and alternative-protein suppliers, rather than relying solely on imported whey.
- Build a tiered menu: accessible protein coffee or lassi formats, premium high-protein shakes, and plant-protein options to protect demand across price points.
- Use loyalty data to target protein offers around morning, afternoon hunger and post-workout occasions instead of treating the category as a fitness-only product.
- Expand co-branded launches with credible nutrition companies, but retain control of recipes, customer data and subscription or loyalty bundles.
- Standardize nutrition disclosure, protein grams per serving and sugar claims to prevent trust erosion as the category scales.
- Test protein-enabled food attachments such as egg, yogurt, oats and high-protein snack bundles to raise basket value beyond beverages.