Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a former Indian cricketer, has invested in Shaka Harry, a business that produces plant-based proteins, according to a statement released on Tuesday by Liberate Foods Pvt. Ltd.

The investment follows Shaka Harry’s $2 million seed funding round, which was headed by Better Bite Ventures, Blue Horizon, and Panthera Peak Ventures in July. A number of domestic family offices and angel investors joined Dexler Holdings, famous chef Manu Chandra, and others in the round.

Products from Shaka Harry are sold online through Swiggy Instamart, BigBasket, SPAR, and Zepto. For offline sales, the business has also teamed up with big-box stores like Metro and Godrej’s Nature’s Basket. Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune, Ahmedabad, and Gurgaon are among the cities where the goods are sold.

Current protein sources aren’t as sustainably scalable for a growing population. We can now switch to more intelligent protein substitutes without sacrificing flavour or texture. The plant protein market is an intriguing one for consumers, according to Dhoni.

According to GFI study with Deloitte, which was cited in the announcement, with the correct investments in people, R&D, manufacturing, and distribution, the Indian smart protein sector may reach a market size of approximately $19,000 crore by 2030, including a sizable export market.
Global support for plant-based diets has increased recently due to claims that they are more sustainable. In a seed investment round managed by JITO Angel Network in January, Enzu.Life Pvt Ltd, the company behind the lifestyle nutrition brand PlantVita, raised an unknown amount.