Being Vegan in India: A Guide to Live Vegan in India

In India, the terms ‘vegan’ and ‘vegetarian’ are often interchangeably used. Be it at the restaurants or even at family get-togethers, it has been a tiresome task to explain the difference to all the people involved. And I was (I still am) willing to do that so I could be at peace that I would be eating vegan food only. That has been my life’s story ever since I turned vegan in 2016. It was an overnight transition from being a non-vegetarian who loved animals to becoming an animal-friendly vegan.

Unlike what most people reason, the shift was a very smooth one for me. Being in the United States had eased the process, since substitutes were readily available – be it the milk for the caffeine folks or the seitans and sausages for the protein lovers or the cheeses for the cheese fans. Access to packaged foods was so easy that the freezer at home used to be filled with a wide variety of items. That is also when I opened my eyes to the umpteen plant-based restaurants, especially the ones that focused on mock meat around me in San Francisco.

Twist in the tale began when I had to move back to India in early 2018. I was not sure about the questions that I would have to answer and all the explanations that I would have to give to all the folks here. Surprisingly, transitioning wasn’t as dreadful as I had expected it to be.

Veganism and the Dairy Alternatives Scene in India

Dairy alternatives were available, of course definitely not as much as in the United States. It took a while to find the right brand and type of plant milk that would suit my taste palette of coffee. Through a lot of trial and error, I was able to figure out the right one for coffee, tea, curd, and cheese.

The first question that most people have asked has been about milk substitutes. What milk do you use for tea and coffee? How do you have curd? Are there any tried, tested, and trusted brands? How do you make these plant-based milks at home? Do you eat pizza at all? And so on.

For beginners, the good news is that these plant-based milks can easily be made at home and they are so fresh! SHARAN India is the go-to link for all the different types of plant-based milks that can be simply made at home. Alternatively, these milks are also available in the major supermarket chains and with e-commerce retailers such as Amazon India, BigBasket, AltMart, VeganDukan, etc.

And another good news is that the traditionally found other dairy-based products such as cheese, curd, cream, ice-creams, butter, and ghee are also readily available for vegans. All of these are available in a wide variety of choices including coconut milk-based, cashew-based, almond-based, to name a few. Also, SHARAN India provides a list of ways to make these healthy, nutritious, and flavorsome cheeses, curds, butter, and so on, at home itself. The tastes can hence be altered and adjusted according to one’s suitability and preference.

Note: The website of SHARAN India is one among the most trustable resources for all vegan health-related queries suitable to the Indian scenarios. All the resources and information in the website are backed by qualified nutritionists and experienced medical doctors.

Another question that I have often heard is, “What about the different sweets that are milk-based? Do you have Kheer, Payasam, or any sweet at all because there is always either ghee or milk in all of them?” Now coming to the answer to those and yes, the best part of it all – I do enjoy and relish sweets as always, I’ve never had to quit anything. All that I had to do was shift my focus a bit, and voila!! Every single sweet can be veganized!

The following links are the perfect go-to for anyone who’d want to veganize their sweets:

Meat Alternatives for Vegans in India

Meat alternatives were tricky to find. And that is when I began to make mock meat at home after watching a few YouTube videos, especially the ones mentioned below:

Seitan Recipe for Beginners – How To Make TikTok Seitan Vegan Chicken!

The complete guide for making shredded vegan seitan chicken! Super easy!

Wheat flour, pea protein, vital wheat gluten, chickpeas, soy flour, and tofu have been some of the vital ingredients to this magic item. 

The link mentioned below enlists some delectable mock meat recipes that one can refer to and follow:

Four Vegan Chicken Recipes Because The “Real Thing” Is A Conscious Being

And for the rest of us who love to procure mock meat readymade and ready to use, these can be purchased from the ever growing list of choices that we have on Amazon India, AltMart, VeganDukan, Urban Platter, and so on. A simple keyword search of ‘buy mock meat online India’ on Google will display the list of choices available.

Questions About Being Vegan in India

Living in the dairy capital of the world that not only produces dairy but also consumes dairy equally, the difference between veganism and vegetarianism is largely unknown. What is the difference between vegan and vegetarian? Is vegan food healthy? Where do you get your calcium from if you don’t drink milk? Do I need a doctor’s approval before becoming vegan? What about B12? And what about proteins if you don’t consume paneer also? Wouldn’t vegan food taste bland if you don’t add ghee or butter in it? Won’t you face any deficiencies when you avoid eggs, milk, fish, and other products? How can you not eat curd rice at all?!

Now I am sure that each one of us have been bombarded with these questions, not only while transitioning to vegan but also at every party or get-together. What one needs to understand is veganism is a change in mindset for an animal-friendly lifestyle. It is not a fad, not at all! Calcium is important to our well-being, not milk. Proteins are essential, not meat. Calcium can be obtained from soy beans and mushrooms as well. Proteins can be derived from legumes and dals, and not necessarily only from animals. Every single nutrient is found in plant-based foods as well. Having understood that, one doesn’t need to depend on animals at all for the above-mentioned nutritional reasons.

The links mentioned below are some wonderful and informative reads on veganism and animal-friendliness pertaining to the Indian context. They can really help one understand and also be able to counter arguments when need be.

Is living vegan expensive?

Is vegan food boring and bland?

Commentary on the perception that vegansim is a “western” concept, hence not relevant to India 

Commentary on the perception that because “Lord Krishna drank milk,” we should continue cow’s milk

Why “ahimsa” milk is a myth

Why “ahimsa” silk is a myth

Vegan Community in India

The vegan community in India has been growing ever since. All thanks to the founders of these Facebook pages specific to not only cities but also to India on the whole, that people who are already vegan but are shifting from one city to another, people who want to transition to being vegan, people who want to know where to meet other vegans and take part in get-togethers, etc. are finding it easier to stay connected with veganism. When I was new to the country, I had joined the Hyderabad Vegans group on Facebook and posted queries and concerns there. The community had been very responsive, encouraging, and helpful. Links to some vegan groups on Facebook:

Indian Vegan Revolution (All India)

Additionally, there is a lot of great content on Indian veganism on Instagram. Some prominent hashtags are: #indianvegan #veganindian #veganindia #vegansofindia #vegansinindia #indianvegans #desivegan #veganinindia.

Non-Edible Products: India Goes Vegan

Did you know that most incense sticks contain something known as Operculum that is a body part of the fish? And for the chewing gum lovers among us – are you aware that many of the ingredients in chewing gums are sourced from animals? For the artists and paint lovers out there – did you know that the bristles of these brushes can be the hair of an animal? Did you know the bow of the violin is made with horsehair? To be honest, I was not aware either. Many such facts and truths can be found in the link of the organization, Beauty Without Cruelty – India.

Beauty Without Cruelty (BWC) – India, established in 1972, is among the oldest animal advocacy organizations in India. The frequently undated BWC website is a mine of information containing many well-researched articles to keep us informed of our choices on a wide variety of non-edible products, which we use in our daily lives that are not animal-friendly.

Beauty Without Cruelty India website also hosts a ton of information on animal safety, labelling of products with the animal-friendly symbol on them, cruelty-free products, plant-based alternatives, and so on.

Not to forget, the apparel industry’s shift towards vegan fashion products that are replacing leather, fur, skins, and other animal-derived materials with cork, wood, hemp, recycled rubber, cotton, recycled plastic bottles, and coconut fiber, is an ethical and conscious move that is optimistically encouraging for a friendly future.

The years that followed, especially the yesteryear, have been revelatory to me in many other aspects of life that I had never imagined. I began to explore more about animal-friendly, eco-friendly options for everything I’d use. Be it the t-shirts that I would wear to the chocolates that I would eat, fair trade and no animal testing labels were mandatory checks. Also over the years, I have seen more and more people turn vegan and become animal-friendly. At every fair or mela, there will be at least one store that will be selling vegan, animal-friendly, eco-friendly products – cosmetics, food, cleaning supplies, utensils, outfits, jewelry, accessories, and bags to name a few.

The number of e-commerce retailers have increased as well. Amazon India houses a lot of non-edible vegan products such as cosmetics, accessories, and shoes. AltMart, VeganDukan, Nykaa, Zouk, LBB, and VeganMall are some other websites that offer a wide variety of vegan products, including non-edibles as well.

It is Not Difficult Being Vegan in India!

Animal-friendly and vegan alternatives to almost everything are available in India. We don’t need to continue exploiting animals for testing or for the use of furs and leather. Neither do we need to rely on animals for food or clothing. It is extremely self-indulgent and selfish to put our cravings and desires ahead of another living being’s wellness – be it for food or for other materialistic pleasures. All that it needs is a little time well-spent on research and reading, to understand where one stands on this issue. Once one gets these ‘Eureka’ moments in life, we can collectively move toward a more compassionate and an animal-friendly world where we can coexist amicably. And live, love, and grow together!

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About the author, Lekshmi Mohan

“I became a vegan in 2016, the day I realized that I was contributing to speciesism. I was confident that I had taken the right decision despite all the scornful remarks. The journey so far has been an exhilarating and eye-opening one. Besides spending time with animals, I also love to travel, photograph moments and nature, read books, grow plants and write occasionally. I can be reached at @the_roving_drifter.”

Cover image: By vegan artist, Manasa @maan_artwork