The India Smart Protein Innovation Challenge 2021: A Future Food Initiative To Fight Climate Change

13th September, 2021

Smart protein — meat, egg, and dairy alternatives produced without industrial animal  agriculture but rather through food science and biotechnology — is a major piece of the  global fight against climate change, food insecurity, and public health crises such as future  pandemics. These transformative foods received over $3.1 billion in funding in 2020, but  continued success requires bold, visionary action from governments and industry  supporting entrepreneurship, infrastructure, and talent development for the sunrise sector. 

Following major success in 2020, the India Smart Protein Innovation Challenge (ISPIC) is  back in 2021, bigger and better. Last year, the challenge saw 1,350+ registrations from  150+ cities across 27 states in India. Several teams formed or incubated during the  challenge went on to start their own companies and now, some are even competing in the  international arena. Two notable examples include Brew51 and SeaSpire, who are now  semifinalists for the $15 million XPRIZE Feed the Next Billion competition. Both companies  were incubated at ISPIC 2020 and are creating waves in the smart protein ecosystem. This year, in the second edition of the challenge, we invite participants to ideate and innovate in  key commercial whitespaces across the value chain of plant-based, cultivated, and  fermentation-derived proteins. The challenge will educate, inspire, and engage a strong  pool of talent on one hand and ensure venture creation for potential and existing  entrepreneurs in the smart protein sector on the other. 

As a strategic initiative of the Good Food Institute India (GFI India), the central expert  smart protein ecosystem-building nonprofit, the focus for ISPIC 2021 is on meeting the  protein needs of 10 billion people by 2050, one-sixth of whom will be Indian. With factors  such as increasing disposable income and upward social mobility, India will be one of the  largest contributors to the rising demand for protein, placing major burdens on public and  planetary health over the next decade. Conventional animal agriculture significantly 

contributes to the world’s most pressing problems: climate change and environmental  degradation, threats to public health and food safety, global food insecurity and nutritional  deficits. 

ISPIC 2021 serves as a springboard for companies trying to address these issues through  smart protein. With a Smart Protein Digital Lab, and infrastructural support and mentorship  from GFI India and experts across major academic institutes including Indian Institutes of  Technology (IITs), government agencies including Biotechnology Industry Research  Assistance Council (BIRAC), and influential investors with over USD 1 billion (INR 7,300 cr)  under management, the challenge nurtures talent and supports participants as they  develop smart protein solutions for the future. Up to INR 20 lakh in cash prizes is on the  table for the top 20 teams that make it to the end of the challenge. 

Shardul Dabir, GFI India Innovation Specialist & Challenge Lead, says, “Coming from a food  technology background, my peers and I spent many years trying to perfect skills which we  could apply in a fast-growing, high-impact industry. Especially at a time of climate crises  and pandemics, smart protein is a sector which can enable us to align our careers with  safeguarding planetary health. ISPIC 2021 will help augment those skills and get hundreds  of young professionals, students, and entrepreneurs ready to build a sustainable, secure,  and just 21st century economy.”  

The challenge’s sponsors and partners are pivotal to what GFI India is trying to achieve  through ISPIC 2021 and are key enablers for the global smart protein ecosystem.

Sandeep Singh, Managing Director at Alkem Labs, says, “ISPIC 2021 is the only initiative in  India where hundreds of future innovators, students, and young entrepreneurs have the  opportunity to get smart and get certified for their knowledge around the basics of the  smart protein sector. The certifications from the Smart Protein Lab are useful for certificate  holders while applying for jobs, internships, or higher education programs, along with  establishing credibility and helping them apply for the multiple career avenues presented  by the smart protein sector globally. Entrepreneurs also gain access to well-founded leads  and networks to fundraise in the future.” 

CIIE.CO, a Centre of Excellence for technology business incubation and education at IIM  Ahmedabad, is an organizing partner for the challenge. Speaking to the challenge’s  significance, Soniya Sadhnani (Associate, Seed Investments, CIIE.CO) says, “Last year, we  witnessed the ISPIC 2020 platform playing an instrumental role in educating and inspiring  hundreds of young Indian smart protein innovators to ideate and engage with leading  scientists, accelerators and investors. With this year's challenge there is an  entrepreneurship track which has been additionally carved out to provide startups  incubation and acceleration support, where CIIE.CO aims to play a catalytic role. GFI India  has done incredibly well in its continued efforts to build the sector from ground up by  attracting the relevant talent pool and bringing the ecosystem partners together. We  eagerly await to welcome the ISPIC 2021 participants!” 

Mark Kahn, Managing Partner at leading agri-tech and food systems venture capital firm  Omnivore (an ecosystem partner for the challenge), notes that, “India’s natural resources  will be stretched thin to feed 1.5 billion people, and we need to explore alternatives that  reduce pressure on our land, water, and food systems. Various approaches to alternative 

protein (plant-based, fermented, and cellular) will eventually become a significant  component of our future food system. India also has a remarkable repository of high  protein substrates (oilseeds, millets, etc.) in need of technology interventions to create a  range of value-added products and increase farmer incomes. GFI India is at the forefront of  rethinking protein to solve pressing issues such as malnutrition, and climate change. We  are excited to be a part of ISPIC 2021 to discover new talent and explore more innovations  in this dynamic sector.” 

With applications closing on 14th September, 2021, prospective participants can apply  now for the India Smart Protein Innovation Challenge: www.smartproteinchallenge.in

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