Veganism today is no longer just a fad or a diet. People in Hyderabad are taking to the vegan way of life for more reasons than just health. In layman’s terms, veganism is a cause that works towards being compassionate to animals and the planet. Hyderabad prides itself on the huge non-vegetarian spread that starts and ends with biryani. In a city like that, getting people hooked on veganism is a challenge. To have markets that offer food and products that are vegan and affordable, is an even bigger challenge. But, things slowly seem to be changing.
The recent vegan market in the city, Hyderabad’s first such event, proved that the people are welcoming the idea of going all out to go green. The event, organised by Rupa Obulreddigari, founder of Alt Mart (a vegan food startup in the city) and Pranavi Pangnuri and Vishwatej Muddu, founders of Enya, another local vegan startup, saw Hyderabadis throng the market in huge numbers.
It’s not only about healthy food, it’s also about filling various gaps in the green market — from packaging to cosmetics and sustainable farming! We speak to vegan brands in the city who are doing just this while also making veganism accessible and affordable.
It’s not just new entrants in the market, even bigger, non-vegan brands are looking to release vegan versions of their products, which is a welcome change towards making the planet a greener place to live on
Alt Mart
Alt Mart is a vegan e-commerce marketplace that services Hyderabad and pan-India. Rupa Obulreddigari started the brand to make vegan lifestyle mainstream. After moving back from Seattle in 2018, she found that accessibility of vegan products was not easy, while the demand for them was growing. So, instead of looking, she created one. “Hyderabad was a tricky market, because the rest of South India, especially Bengaluru and Chennai, enjoys vegan food. When it came to Hyderabad, our aim was to ensure not just healthy, but also indulgent vegan food. Mock meat, vegan dum biryani, cakes and desserts are on par, sometimes better, than non-vegetarian food today,” she says
Enya
Enya is a dairy alternatives brand that aims to change the way vegan food and lifestyle is perceived in India. Pranavi Pangnuri, who started it with her husband Vishwatej Muddu, rubbishes the idea of vegan being costly. “It’s only when you look at consuming high-end products that you perceive vegan lifestyle to be pricey. The curd that we sold at the market was the same price as the regular curd you get elsewhere. We sold dahi chaat for the same price it is sold at any chaat stall. It all boils down to your willpower.”
Disguise
Disguise Cosmetics, an indie Indian makeup brand, was co-founded by three scientists — Shivangi Shah, Desiree Pereira and Lakshay Mohindroo. With years of experience in cosmetics and personal care, the brand strives to bring products of the highest quality that are vegan, specially curated for the Indian skin. All the products are 100% cruelty and paraben-free. They’re also PETA-approved. “We make sure that we take a stand on every front, including packaging — we’re on our way to being 100% recyclable on all fronts. We are staunch believers in cruelty-free makeup,” shares Prarthana Jagan, the content and marketing head
Urban Tiller
Sustainable brand Urban Tiller is all about sourcing produce locally. The produce in their farm is grown in a soilless medium, without pesticides and insecticides. What’s more, they harvest their produce less than six hours before delivery! On what the brand is doing to help promote vegan options, co-founder Vaibhaw Dwivedi says, “We have been working on isolating protein from green leaves. We have successfully mastered the process. Urban Tiller is currently working on optimising the process and developing the final product. In the future, we will grow the freshest, healthiest greens and also make protein products with protein extracted from these leaves — essentially the cleanest protein source for vegans.”
Vijay Sweets
Who knew Indian sweets that are heavy on ghee, can be vegan too. The brand is loved by Hyderabadis for its bestseller vegan Mysorepak. Aravindan V, the founder, says, “I have always loved animals and had been volunteering with animal shelters for over 10 years. But, only a few years ago I made the connection of how I could rescue one animal and eat the other. My family has been in the sweets industry for 30 years and I didn’t want them to be a part of the cruelty. Now, it’s been three years since we started producing 100% vegan sweets.”