With the rapidly growing environmental and health concerns, it has become imperative for humans to rethink their food habit. The growing awareness among the masses is orienting them towards clean labels, healthy products and animal welfare. With this, the increasing importance of plant-based food & beverage alternatives which contributes to various health benefits have resulted in a rise in the adoption of vegan diets globally. There are several small start-ups, medium sized enterprises and even large conglomerates who are trying to tap into the growing trend.
Speaking of the plant-based beverages, the increasing consumer preference for functional drinks and a decline in consumption of sugary carbonated drinks and juices have slowly inclined consumers towards Kombucha due to its inherent nutritional benefits such as its prebiotic and probiotic properties that will improve digestive health, lift mood, boost energy, and positively affect other body functions. Furthermore, the increased usefulness of Kombucha in the treatment of arthritis, cancer, and other degenerative diseases, as well as its ability to detoxify the body, rebuild connective tissues, increase metabolism, and reduce headaches, could propel the industry forward.
However, India is still at a nascent stage, wherein, people need to understand the harms that can be caused by bad food habits, which will not only adversely effect one’s health but will also deplete the environment to such an extend that there is no return. Also, players in the food & beverage industry must be transparent and ethical to not to offer such products, consisting of preservatives, artificial coloring, and additives in the market. One must have a very sustainable approach to come up with a clean product and label. Furthermore, increased product diversification will have a favorable impact on the growth potential of innovative players.
Perfectly understanding the void in the Indian market, Mountain Tribe, established in the year 2019 has been on a revolutionary path to feed the masses in a better way and guide them towards a plant-based lifestyle. The ideology of MountainTribe is straightforward and simple. By developing functional plant-based alternatives, the company hopes to promote awareness, improve animal care, and protect environmental resources. MountainTribe has been offering a unique range of functional beverage, Tribe Kombucha which is a perfect blend with health-promoting combinations of wild harvested and naturally farmed herbs with organic green tea. These drinks are fermented with benefits that go beyond the gut-healing and detoxifying effects as it is infused with a variety of herbs and spices.
“Kombucha is very healthy for the daily lifestyle. A daily consumption of kombucha will give you everything that one requires for a healthy body and mind. In the west, it is known as the ‘Elixir of Immortality’. So, it’s a very different ballgame altogether. And as far as the formulation is concerned, we have just spent almost nine to ten
months just formulating our drink to bring the best out of it,” says Harshvardhan Chauhan, the Founder and CEO of MountainTribe.
He further adds, “Whether it is a soft drink, juice or some other variant of beverage, they all have non- functional properties, which are harming us in some manner. As there were no other beverages in the Indian market that had actual functional properties except for water, we are here to fill the gap. MountainTribe came into being to provide such kinds of clean products with functional properties. We are not a regular company, but rather a modern TRIBE of like-minded individuals”.
Creating Healthier Lifestyle through Tribe Kombucha
"Kombucha is a functional probiotic drink and is created through a fermentation process. Tribe Kombucha comes in five exclusive variants. Firstly, there is Gingerade which is a perfect combination of live kombucha culture (yeast & bacteria), organic tea, organic herbs, ginger & lemon. Secondly, there is Tribe Unity which is made up of live kombucha culture (yeast & bacteria), organic green tea, rose, and Tulsi. The third kombucha offered by the company is Tribe Lavender Love.
It is a blend of live kombucha culture (yeast & bacteria), organic green tea, organic herbs and lavender flowers, The fourth is Tribe Hibiscus Lime which consists of live kombucha culture (yeast & bacteria), organic green tea, organic herbs, hibiscus flower and lime. Last but not the least is Jasmine chamomile. All these variants are perfect for a body to get a jump-start the day, relieve anxiety, detoxify the body, bounce back from a hangover, or simply relax and support the overall immune system," says Vivek Kushwaha , the Head of R&D and Production.
Very soon we will be marching towards protein alternatives, we have almost completed our research on the egg alternative which can bring a revolutionary change in the Indian food industry which was showcased in the food accelerator program hosted by Nestle
Focusing on Sustainability
MountainTribe is completely focused on animal welfare by developing innovative plant-based products. The company is also considering of starting a NGO or an organization that helps animals or strays in some manner or the other. Also, we are very much conscious about our consumers’ health. MountainTribe has been constantly striving to become the most trusted company when it comes to offering functional plant-based food & beverage products. Every product is going to come out with a very clean label with the utilization of best-in- class natural ingredients.
“If we talk about our existing product Kombucha, it is the way forward for the people towards healthier life. We don't use any artificial flavor, essence, or anything of that kind which should not be consumed by humans. While talking about sustainability, MountainTribe is all about maintaining an ecosystem which is favorable to both humans and nature".
Furthermore, MountainTribe says a strict no to the use of PET bottles or plastic bottles. The company has been only utilizing glass bottles which are recyclable, wherein, the packaging process is very environmental friendly. "As a young and promising start-up, the company wishes to be a carbon neutral company by 2025," says Om Prakash Dahiya, the Co-Founder & Director - Operations.
The Road Ahead
In just a year’s time, Tribe Kombucha has made a very solid mark in the Indian market. MountainTribe is steadily expanding its reach from Delhi NCR, to Bangalore, Mumbai and other cities. There is a parallel Kombucha culture growing across the country, wherein, as mentioned earlier, the company wants to build a tribe or the community of likeminded individuals. "Within two year, the company is expecting Tribe Kombucha to reach into 18+ cities to cover the entire Indian subcontinent and is focusing on becoming a hybrid brand with a major share of revenue through its D to C online platform," says Anand Joshi, the Chief Marketing officer.
“We are also keeping ourselves occupied with R&D on other products, which would be completely focused on creating meat, egg and dairy alternatives. So, very soon we will be marching towards protein alternatives. We have almost completed our research on the egg alternative which can bring a revolutionary change in the Indian food industry. The egg alternative was also showcased in the food accelerator program hosted by Nestle. Our plant-based Egg alternate tastes and smells as a regular egg and has higher protein content compared to egg. We aim at covering every corner of the plant-based portfolio in the next five years’ time-frame".
"MT started with a Pre-Seed Funding of 1.5 crore and was the first in the country to establish a Commercial Kombucha Plant in Gurugram. We are highly proud of our every small and big achievements," concludes Harshvardhan.
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