A new whitepaper from the Good Food Institute India suggests that India's indigenous and underutilized crops could be the key to creating a domestic plant protein supply chain. Despite being a megadiverse country for plant genetic material, India currently relies on a narrow range of staple crops for protein, leading to deficiencies in essential amino acids. The whitepaper identifies several crops with strong potential for plant protein applications, such as horse gram and winged bean, which are protein-dense, require fewer inputs, and are resilient to climate stress.

The report outlines recommendations for increased funding in breeding and genomics research, the use of AI and machine learning tools for crop trait discovery, and infrastructure development for scalable ingredient supply chains. It also emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration between agricultural scientists, food technologists, and industry to strengthen domestic ingredient supply chains. By leveraging indigenous and orphan crops, India has the opportunity to become a leading player in the global plant-based market and connect agricultural biodiversity to food systems.