India’s Whey Protein Demand Creates Opportunities for Dairy Companies
India’s demand for whey protein has increased as consumers buy more protein supplements. Prices for whey protein concentrate bases have risen from roughly ₹700–800 per kg before 2024 to about ₹2,000–2,300 per kg, according to the supplied report. A 1kg tub of whey powder sells at retail for between ₹3,000 and ₹6,000.
India has been the world’s largest milk producer since 1998, but it still imports an estimated 80–85% of the whey proteins used in supplements. Imports could total as much as 23,000 tonnes in 2025. The domestic dairy industry has traditionally concentrated on liquid milk, curd, paneer and ghee. Cheese production and the specialised processing needed for supplement-grade whey have remained comparatively small.
Parag Milk Foods expands its integrated model
Parag Milk Foods has around 10 lakh litres per day of whey-processing capacity. The company obtains whey from cheese production, allowing it to process a by-product rather than discard it. Its Go Cheese business supplies part of the company’s raw-material base.
Management has stated that Go Cheese has a 35% position in the cheese market. Parag is increasing its cheese capacity from 60 metric tonnes per day to 120 metric tonnes per day. The company’s Avvatar brand sells vegetarian whey protein under a “Made in India” positioning. Its range now includes blends, isolate protein, performance whey, mass gainers, creatine, protein bars and ready-to-drink products.
The supplied report records Avvatar’s top-line at 15 times its Q1 FY22 level in Q1 FY25 and 37 times that level in Q1 FY27. More than 75% of the brand’s sales revenue comes through e-commerce, quick-commerce platforms and Parag’s website. These channels provide the company with direct distribution to consumers.
Milky Mist adds cheese and whey capacity
Milky Mist Dairy Food has commissioned a cheddar-cheese plant with installed capacity of 120 metric tonnes per day. It is also seeking to increase capacity for yogurt, cream cheese and natural cheese. The company produces around 1m litres of cheese whey each day and currently sells whey powder mainly to business customers.
Milky Mist plans to build a whey-protein-concentrate plant, with construction expected to take about 15–18 months. The facility is intended to serve the company’s own consumption as well as business-to-business and business-to-consumer markets. Milky Mist distributes products across 22 states and five Union Territories through more than 4,200 distributors and nearly 400,000 daily retail touchpoints.
Its logistics network includes more than 375 primary vehicles and over 600 vehicles for secondary transport. The company uses reverse logistics and fleet-management systems based on artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things. The stated expansion plans place cheese and whey within a broader move by both companies towards higher-value dairy and nutrition products.
