Indians Lap Up Veganuary Diet

Hyderabad:Veganuary — the initiative which encourages people to try a vegan diet for 31 days every January — is being lapped up by Indians. Launched in 2014, the trend of vegan diets — mainly reducing dairy and skipping meat — is drawing steady interest across Indian cities including the meat-loving Hyderabadis.

The clear shift can be noticed in search trends, diet clinics and food delivery platforms. People are also looking up vegan food because it is being talked about more openly as a lifestyle choice and more so linked to health, climate concerns and personal ethics.

“People visit us after seeing vegan diets online or hearing friends talk about it,” said Dr Ginni Kalra, head of dietetics at Aakash Healthcare. “Most are not activists. They are dealing with issues like acidity, skin breakouts, weight gain or high cholesterol apart from being curious if cutting animal products helps.”

Kalra said the biggest misunderstanding is that vegan eating requires expensive substitutes. “That idea comes from branding and social media. In practice, people experiment first. They reduce dairy, skip meat a few days a week, and see how they feel. The change is gradual.”

Campaigns like Veganuary India have played a role in pushing the conversation into the mainstream. According to Veganuary’s surveys, nearly 60 per cent of Indians say they are open to trying a vegan diet, mainly for health and environmental reasons.

“At Veganuary India, we see people who are simply curious,” a representative told Deccan Chronicle. “They are not looking to buy fancy products. They want guidance, simple meal ideas and reassurance that vegan food is realistic in daily life.”

Hyderabad-based marketing professional Sana Khan, who turned vegan last year, said the change came as a trend she followed online. “I saw a lot of people talking about it, especially around skincare and gut health,” she said. “I tried it for a month, felt lighter, and stuck with it. My food hasn’t become expensive, only different.”

Nutritionists say the trend is being fuelled by visibility rather than tradition. Social media creators, fitness coaches and doctors discussing plant based eating have made vegan diets feel accessible rather than extreme. “Vegan food looks elite only when it’s packaged and marketed that way,” Kalra said. “For most people adopting it now, it’s about curiosity, health and trying something new. The trend is real, and it’s growing — from basic beans to salads, lentils and pulses.”