India's First Chemical-Free Plant Protein, Made From Indian Pulses | Smitha Devigere | Ep 33

Why does a country that grows so many pulses import more than 90% of the protein isolates in its protein powders? Smitha Devigere, a former Novozymes scientist from Davanagere, left a stable research career to change that. Her answer is a patented, chemical-free plant protein made from Indian pulses using only water.About the founder:Smitha is the founder of Devigere Bio Solutions. Most plant protein, including soy and pea, is extracted with solvents, acids and alkalis. She wanted a protein she could confidently feed her own children, so she began experimenting in her kitchen with alasande (black-eyed beans). Alasande is one of Karnataka's biggest pulse crops and is mostly sold as animal feed. That work became a water-based extraction method, an Indian patent granted in 2024, and a plant protein that dissolves completely in water, which very few plant proteins can do.Getting from kitchen to factory was hard. A ₹1.5 lakh manufacturing batch failed. She turned down ₹2 crore because accepting it meant moving her company and patent to Singapore. A ₹23 lakh grant from Karnataka's Elevate programme kept the company going. Later, a cold application to Rainmatter led to a pitch in front of Nithin Kamath and a ₹3 crore investment, which built a manufacturing unit in Davanagere.A candid conversation about deep science entrepreneurship from a smaller city, raising money without an IIT or IIM network, and what Indians get wrong about protein.Website Link : https://www.devigerebiosolutions.com/Buy Sara Protein: https://saraprotein.com/Get in touch with the guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smitha-devigere-a5043622/WHAT YOU WILL DISCOVER- Is protein deficiency in India real, and why is muscle loss starting earlier?- How soy and pea protein isolates are made, and why Smitha chose water instead- Why India imports plant protein at ₹300 to 400 per kg while selling the same pulses as feed for ₹50 to 60- What a failed batch taught her about scaling a new food technology- Why she chose to keep her intellectual property in India- What the Rainmatter pitch with Nithin Kamath and Nikhil Kamath was really like- Does protein damage your kidneys, and do older adults need less of it?- Why the dal in a family meal gives each person only about 5 grams of protein, and how to eat moreChapters 00:00 Trailer01:30 Is the Protein Craze Real or Just Hype?07:13 The School Science Project That Started It All11:55 No Medical Seat, No Placement — Then a Global Research Job18:02 Why She Quit a Comfortable Job23:48 Plant vs Animal Protein: The 100x Difference30:11 No Soy, No Chemicals — Research in Her Own Kitchen37:38 Breaking an FD — and Turning Down ₹2 Crore43:23 The Failed Batch She Never Told Her Father About52:15 A ₹23 Lakh Grant — and a Market That Only Asked About Price1:01:17 The Rainmatter Pitch: A Blank Look, Then an Email1:11:34 ₹3 Crore, a Factory in Davanagere — and Their Own Brand1:16:31 If She'd Known How Long It Would Take…1:22:19 Protein Myths — and Why Your Dal Isn't Enough1:32:30 Favorite Founders, Kantara & Why Local Stories MatterABOUT MUNDHE BANNIMundhe Banni is a Kannada-first entrepreneurship media platform featuring long-form conversations with founders, entrepreneurs and ecosystem builders, and a community of people who want to build.Support Mundhe Banni: https://mundhebanni.org/en/patronFollow Mundhe Banni on Social Media:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mundhebannihttps://linktr.ee/mundhebanniMundhe Banni Website: https://www.mundhebanni.orgMonthly startup & entrepreneurship updates in Kannada, subscribe to the Mundhe Banni Newsletter: https://mundhebanni.org/newsletterJoin the Mundhe Banni WhatsApp Community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/IAWPPpF1m3V1SCLyORz9WNSubscribe to Mundhe Banni Academy: https://www.youtube.com/@mundhebanniacademy