Animal welfare is similarly underdeveloped with most companies lacking a policy let alone species-specific standards, measurable targets or timelines. Only a small minority reference higher-welfare sourcing such as tether-free or cage-free, and few currently disclose measurable progress. These gaps mirror challenges seen across Asia, underscoring a persistent disconnect between awareness of protein-related risks and demonstrable execution.
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India’s listed food companies are accelerating improvements in how they manage protein-related supply chain risks across meat, dairy, poultry and seafood supply chains, broadly matching Asia’s average performance, but significant gaps remain on climate and animal welfare, according to the ‘Asian Protein Buyers (APB) 100: An assessment of responsible and sustainable sourcing’ released by Asia Research and Engagement (ARE).
A media statement said that the APB100 is an investor-backed benchmark assessing how 100 of Asia’s largest listed protein-buying companies — headquartered or operating across Mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, India, Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore — manage environmental, social and governance considerations embedded in meat, dairy, poultry and seafood supply chains.
Mentioning that India stands out as one of the faster-moving markets in the benchmark, the statement said the average score for Indian companies more than doubled, rising from around 7 per cent in 2023 to 16 per cent in 2025. The findings are based on an assessment of 13 listed Indian food companies, spanning food manufacturing and restaurant chains. Eleven of the 13 companies improved year-on-year, and collectively they play a significant role in shaping domestic protein sourcing and demand.
India’s overall performance in 2025 is broadly in line with the Asia-wide average score, but the pace of improvement stands out with a higher proportion of Indian companies improving year-on-year. As with Asia overall, progress in India is still evolving. Gains are concentrated in foundational disclosures, while supply chain execution continue to lag, it said.
India’s strongest performance is in traceability, sourcing and labour, reflecting wider adoption of supplier codes, sourcing policies and due-diligence frameworks. This suggests that many Indian food companies are beginning to put foundational supply-chain governance in place. However, disclosure remains largely process-led with limited evidence of outcome-based monitoring, remediation or full supply-chain coverage or consideration of a just protein transition.
Climate and animal welfare
Despite overall improvement, climate and animal welfare remain areas where many Indian companies are at an early stage of their journey. More than half of the Indian companies are yet to begin disclosing against climate-related indicators, including Scope 3 emissions exposure, targets or transition planning. References to recognised disclosure frameworks remain limited, and commitments to absolute emissions reduction are rare, the statement said.
Animal welfare is similarly underdeveloped with most companies lacking a policy let alone species-specific standards, measurable targets or timelines. Only a small minority reference higher-welfare sourcing such as tether-free or cage-free, and few currently disclose measurable progress. These gaps mirror challenges seen across Asia, underscoring a persistent disconnect between awareness of protein-related risks and demonstrable execution.
Quoting Rituj Sahu, ARE Director, Protein Transition (India), the statement said: “India can become a reference point for how emerging markets manage protein transition at scale across meat, dairy, poultry and seafood systems. Early progress on supply-chain governance is encouraging. What matters now is converting that momentum into measurable action across sourcing, climate, responsible antibiotic use, and animal welfare.”
Praveer Srivastava, Executive Director of Plant Based Foods Industry Association, said: “India stands at an inflection point where responsible protein sourcing is becoming central to climate resilience and long-term food‑system stability. The APB100 findings underscore that diversifying protein sources — including scaling plant-based and other sustainable alternatives — is not just an environmental priority, but a strategic imperative for industry readiness and risk management.”
Major Indian companies assessed in the APB100 include Devyani International, Jubilant FoodWorks, Mrs Bector’s Food Specialities, Nestlé India, Parag Milk Foods, Sapphire Foods, Tata Consumer Products, Hindustan Unilever, and other key buyers shaping India’s protein supply chains.
Published on February 25, 2026
