A global whey shortage is rewriting India’s protein market playbook

For at least two years, Bengaluru-based Anushka K and her partner rarely thought twice before ordering a new pack of whey protein. Both work out regularly, so a scoop of The Whole Truth’s whey protein every day helped them hit their daily protein goals.

But two months ago, that routine became very expensive.

“I used to buy Whole Truth for roughly Rs 2,400 per kg. Now the same pack is close to Rs 4,500, which is an insane jump,” says the 38-year-old. “The company said the increase was because of the global shortage and the war, which pushed up procurement costs because the raw material prices had increased sharply.”