Veganism is the practice of abstaining from the use of animal products, particularly in diet, and an associated philosophy that rejects the commodity status of animals. Veganism is not yet mainstream, but a rising number of converts mean it’s not a quirky niche either.
A survey from CashKaro showed a 100% increase in orders for vegan products last year. Covering over 5,000 users in 10 cities, the survey concluded that 68% of the respondents were actually non-vegetarian prior to turning vegan. The survey showed that a good 40% of people took to vegan food for its health benefits. Some of these included improved liver function, lower blood sugar levels and increased resistance to colorectal cancer.
Retailers and vegan e-commerce portals add that the cost has also come down by 25-40%, owing to better availability due to a 30%-40% increase in the number of vendors. Vegan site GetMoksha’s co-founder Rohan Tate said that, as a consequence, the number of orders has gone up from 2-3 a week to 4-5 a day.
Online vegan food portals add that celebrities converting to veganism and an increase in the availability of vegan products are driving the change. Drawing inspiration from Virat Kohli and Serena Williams, foodies are now eating plant-based food for their fuel. They want to try the kinds of butter and mock meat and have been coming back for more. Even a regular kirana store now wants to stock mock meat and vegan cheese. They say there’s a demand and they are keen to explore.
