This company’s product promises a complete nutritious meal in a shake

Increasingly hectic lifestyles and the urgency to tick off as many things as possible on the to-do list has resulted in poor food choices by humans. Amidst the rush, managing healthy meals and eating on time has turned out to be a daily dilemma.

Supply6, launched earlier this year, helps busy folks overcome this predicament. 

The story

Vaibhav Bhandari and Rahul Jacob met at a fest in Bengaluru during their college days and became good friends. While Vaibhav went on to pursue a Master’s degree from the Warwick Business School, Rahul became a martial artist practising Bruce Lee’s form, Jeet Kune Do.

While leading busy lives, they felt the need for quick but nutritious meals, and were disappointed to see that there was none that ticked the criteria. “Vaibhav would skip meals regularly because of his classes, homework and other commitments. I had also been looking for something sustaining to consume before my workout.” 

The duo discussed their individual concerns and decided to come together to find a solution. 

In January 2019, they started selling protein supplements such as whey protein, plant protein, and keto protein along with some protein shake powders. Supply6 aims to provide the six basic ingredients required by the body- carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water through its products.

In parallel, they researched for a mini-meal product that was nutritional, accessible and affordable. 

After speaking to several nutritionists, doctors and experts in the fitness industry, the duo were able to derive some key takeaways that helped them develop their product.

“We were told to ensure that the product adhered to the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on what constitutes a balanced diet. Another thing that came out of these conversations was to blend the ideal composition of carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals.”

All that initial research led to the launch of the Supply6 meal in January 2020. 

When the product, tried and tested by family and friends, got a positive response, the duo decided to launch it in the mainstream market.

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A meal for all

Rahul emphasises that the Supply6 meal in no way replaces a good home-cooked meal. “If someone had to choose between a home-cooked meal and a Supply6, we would tell them to have the cooked meal because that is important.”

Moreover, a Supply6 meal gives you only 25 percent of the total nutrition required by the body, so it is imperative that one does not miss a wholesome meal. 

A Supply6 meal contains 27 vitamins and minerals, and the meal is composed of 49 grams of carbohydrates, 20 grams of protein, 18.5 grams of fats and 27 grams of vitamins and minerals. The meal is only available in vanilla flavour for now. 

The company manufactures the product in batches at their units in Bangalore and Hyderabad. To ensure greater control over manufacturing the product, Rahul says they directly source the raw materials, where possible locally otherwise abroad, and only put together the ingredients at the units. 

Rahul also says that the meal is not restricted to any one segment but is for everyone.

“We tell people to have Supply6 meals only when they do not have the option of home-cooked food around. For example, as a traveler or hiker, having a home-cooked meal readily available is not possible. This is where Supply6 is the best option” he adds. 

The company has sold over 12,000 meals till date.

Meal prep

The meal is prepared by mixing 100 grams of powder with 300 ml of chilled water in a shaker. It can also be mixed with milk. The business, for now, sells in a pack of three and 10, priced at Rs 849 and Rs 2099 respectively, including the shaker. One 100-gram Supply6 meal can keep you satiated for about four to five hours, says Rahul.

With their product, Supply6 has been able to achieve the twin goal of convenience and nutritional value, and the founders hope to bring down the price as they scale higher. 

Supply6 products are being sold through its own website, and is also listed on Amazon and Flipkart. The company also plans to advertise and market on several other online marketplaces in the coming months. The Bengaluru-based company is also working to get listed on offline stores to penetrate into the retail channels.

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COVID-19 impact and future plans

The supplement market in India is heavily crowded. According to a report in India Protein and Herbal Supplement Market Overview, more than 60 percent of  the Indian nutraceuticals market is accounted for by the dietary supplements market which includes protein and herbal supplements. Rahul says they take inspiration from brands like UK-based Huel and US-based Soylent.

Supply6 is an almost two-year-old company but the journey thus far has not been without its challenges. The coronavirus pandemic, for instance, has caused a lot of disruption. The company couldn’t operate for several months as the office and the manufacturing units were located in containment zones. 

It took about three months for the company to recover to the pre-pandemic levels. 

Moreover, while starting out, Rahul and Vaibhav wanted to target the working class professionals. But, with work-from-home becoming the new normal and vending machines not being used as much, plans have gone haywire. Hence, the duo had to strategise and push these plans for later.

Catering to a taste-sensitive Indian audience was another challenge. However, the company has been able to navigate through the crisis as it claims to have clocked a turnover of Rs 75 lakh since its inception. 

Going forward, the company plans to go big on expansion. It is closing a funding round soon, the funds of which will be utilised in marketing, and they also plan to release new flavours such as chocolate cookie and strawberry. The company will also launch a Supply6 snack bar, a solid version of the current liquid product apart from launching a range of ketogenic products.