Resurfacing from May: India’s whey supply squeeze pushed supplement MRPs up 15–25%
Indian supplement brands import nearly 90 per cent of their high-quality whey, according to Pure Nutrition's Sushil Khaitan. Rising ingredient costs are pushing up retail prices and encouraging blends or plant-protein alternatives, while limited cheese output and processing infrastructure constrain domestic supply.
Read the source at Business Standard (via Wayback)The numbers
| Whey concentrate price now: | over Rs 2,000-2,300 per kg |
|---|---|
| Input cost rise over last 24 months: | 200-250 per cent |
| 2025 whey protein import estimate: | close to 23,000 tonnes |
- Consumer MRP increase: fifteen to twenty five per cent
Why it matters to operators and investors
Diversify whey sourcing and test blends or plant-protein alternatives as input-cost inflation outpaces 15–25% MRP increases, putting margins and affordability at risk.
What to watch next
- Pure Nutrition announcements of blend or plant-protein launches
- Smaller-pack launches and changes in supplement promotional discounts
- Sales-mix shifts between pure whey, blends and plant proteins
- Changes in imported whey procurement costs
- Domestic cheese-production and whey-processing capacity announcements
The counter-case
Higher MRPs do not establish pricing power: consumers could buy smaller packs, trade down or switch proteins, leaving brands with weaker volumes and margins. The headline may also overgeneralize a squeeze in premium imported whey to the entire supplement category; reformulation could limit sustained price increases.