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Founded just three and a half years ago, Blue Tribe Foods is a new player in the plant-based food industry in India. Despite its young age, the company has achieved critical milestones in its quest to offer sustainable, plant-based alternatives to meat products. In an exclusive interview, Sandeep Singh, the Founder of Blue Tribe, discussed the company’s journey, insights into its growth, the role of Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma in building the brand, and future goals.
“Blue Tribe is still in its early days,” Singh remarked. “At three and a half years old, we’re working in a very niche category—plant-based meat—which is still relatively new in India. In terms of significant revenue milestones, we are far from where we want to be. However, one of the most critical milestones we have achieved is bringing Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma on board as brand ambassadors and investors. Their association with the brand elevated awareness and gave us a broader platform to communicate the value of plant-based meat.“
While proud of these accomplishments, Singh emphasizes that the company has yet to fully tap into its potential. “We quickly realized that we didn’t want to play in a small segment. Initially, we believed that plant-based meat would take off in India, much like it did in the U.S. But understanding Indian consumers took time. Now, we’ve decided to broaden our approach and venture into the vegetarian segment, which is significantly larger.“
Virat and Anushka: The Face of the Brand
Singh acknowledges that getting two of India’s biggest celebrities on board has been a game-changer for Blue Tribe. “Plant-based meat is still an oxymoron for most Indian consumers. When Virat and Anushka became our ambassadors, it gave us a platform to create awareness and educate consumers. Their organic involvement with the brand has been incredibly valuable—Virat once posted about our products on his Instagram story, and the response was overwhelming, even more than our paid promotions.“
Their association has not only increased visibility but also helped build trust in the category itself. “If they were ambassadors for any plant-based meat company, we would be happy because the entire category needs to be built. The focus now is on leveraging their reach to educate more people about plant-based meat.“
Pivoting Towards the Vegetarian Market
Singh acknowledges that the plant-based meat market in India is relatively small, estimated at around Rs 150 crore. “Even if you capture 10 percent or 20 percent of the market, you’re still a small player. That realization led us to expand into a larger Rs 5,000 crore vegetarian food market. We’re developing new products like soya chaap, which appeals to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.“
Blue Tribe currently offers 8 to 10 SKUs, covering three to four broad categories, with plant-based meat being the flagship. “Our new focus is the vegetarian category. We recently launched soya chaap in three flavors, and we’re optimistic about its growth potential. In the next three to four months, we will introduce more products,” said Singh.
Embracing Omnichannel and Quick Commerce
Blue Tribe operates on an omnichannel model, distributing its products in around 1,000 stores across India. However, Singh highlights the challenges posed by the frozen foods category. “Frozen foods limit mass distribution, so it takes time to build the channel. That said, Quick Commerce has been a game-changer for us, accounting for 30 percent of our sales. It’s a level playing field for new companies, allowing us to quickly reach hundreds of pin codes.“
In addition to Quick Commerce, Blue Tribe has a presence in modern retail stores in major cities. “We are available in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad through modern trade channels like Nature’s Basket, Raj Mandir, and Modern Bazaar. Quick Commerce is growing, but we firmly believe in the importance of physical stores for brand visibility.“
Interestingly, Blue Tribe has decided to pull back from direct-to-consumer sales on its website, recognizing that consumer expectations for quick delivery are better met by Quick Commerce platforms. “People are now accustomed to receiving orders in 15–20 minutes, and we realized that Quick Commerce partners are better equipped to meet this demand,” said Singh.
Innovation
While much of the world is buzzing about AI and data analytics, Blue Tribe’s core innovation lies in its product development. “Our primary innovation is creating products that taste like animal meat but are made from plants. That’s no small feat. We have a team led by our Chief Technology Officer, an IIT Kharagpur Ph.D. with experience at Nestle and Givaudan. Our innovation doesn’t stop; we continue to develop new products that meet the taste and texture expectations of meat lovers,” stated Singh.
The company also leverages technology on the operational front. “We are investing in data analytics to better understand consumer behavior and predict demand. It’s still early days, but this will help us manage stock levels and anticipate market trends more effectively.”
Expanding Beyond Meat Eaters
One of Blue Tribe’s key learnings has been that Indian consumers don’t consume meat as frequently as those in Western markets. “Even if someone identifies as a non-vegetarian, they might only eat meat twice a week. That means they’re unlikely to switch to plant-based meat on those occasions,” Singh explained. “This realization led us to expand our marketing efforts to appeal to vegetarians, many of whom find our plant-based products too similar to animal meat. Now, we’re shifting to products like soya chaap, which are more universally appealing.“
Financial Goals
Although Blue Tribe is currently small, with an annual run rate of around Rs 8 crore, Singh is optimistic about future growth. “We expect to reach Rs 12 crore in a few months and aim for Rs 25 crore over the next year. In the next five years, we want to be a Rs 200 crore revenue company, and we aim to achieve this while maintaining financial discipline. We’re also working towards breaking even in the near term.“
The company has raised a small amount of funding from ultra-high-net-worth individuals, with additional investment from Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma. “We don’t plan to raise large sums of capital. We want to grow sustainably and maintain financial discipline,” Singh asserts.
A Vision for the Future
Looking ahead, Blue Tribe’s goals are ambitious but grounded in strong fundamentals. “In five years, we want to be recognized as a brand that not only does good for you but also for the planet. We want to be the go-to brand for sustainable, plant-based foods in India. And we aim to do this while maintaining our commitment to innovation and financial discipline,” concluded Singh.
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