India’s first D2C unicorn is entering the plant-based meat market with the launch of Uncraveher first portfolio brand.
The brand’s product range includes high-protein vegetarians chicken and lamb kebabs, priced from Rs 349 and up. At present, the company is also offering a single serve introductory package at Rs 99.
Ready-to-cook products are guaranteed free of artificial preservatives, trans fat, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer. The cooking time of the products is 8 minutes and they have a shelf life of 12 to 14 days.
Simeran Bhasin, Business Head, Alternative Protein, Licious, said: “Licious is the only Indian company to house animal and alternative proteins under one roof. We have been able to achieve this because we have always had our consumers as our highest priority.”
The consumer-supported research and innovation process has played an important role in the brand’s development over the past two years.
“UnCrave is very similar to the story of the parent brand. There was no precedent for the quality standard that we could copy. Hence the two-year investment in research and development,” he added.
The team delved into the meat-eating habits of the country and realized that a significant population does not eat meat regularly and a large part remains protein deficient.
In addition, we have holidays and beliefs centered on our identity, which can affect when we can consume meat. For such consumers, Licious aims to provide a high-protein alternative with UnCrave.
Simeran said: “Today, plant-based alternatives are relevant to those who have become vegan and are actively understanding their food choices. But a large part of India is still unfamiliar with this category. Therefore , we have taken it upon ourselves to establish it all over India.”
The products are currently available in Delhi NCR, Mumbai and Bengaluru through the Licious app, markets and Licious stores.
For the last 6 years, Licious has made its mark among meat lovers. Since its inception, it has witnessed a 300 percent growth and is actively engaging with consumers in 28 Indian cities namely Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Kochi and Kolkata to name a few.
Currently, it provides more than 2 million orders every month and enjoys repeat consumption of 90 percent in all markets.
Simeran said, “Meat itself is our biggest competitor right now, among the others out there in the plant-based category.”
“Superior, meat-like flavor is our number one USP, which is why we spell our products with a tilde (~), signifying the products’ similarity to meat in almost every way. We’re excited about the fact that consumers will be pleasantly surprised by how close the flavor is to meat,” he adds.
Abhay Hanjura and Vivek Gupta shared: “UnCrave is much more than a brand. It’s a promise to our consumers that Licious will step up and diversify to ensure they always have a tasty protein option.”
“We have invested more than 20 months in R&D, internally, to develop a range of products that closely resemble the taste and texture of meat in a way never experienced before,” they add.
The brand aims to emerge as a market leader within the first year of its launch.
(The copy has been updated to correct a typo)
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