Bengaluru, Oct 11 (FN Agency) Talking about India’s chances in the upcoming T20I World Cup in Australia, former Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday said apart from consistently giving 80-90 percent performance, it also requires that the big hiiters and extraordinary bowlers of the opposition have a bad day. In an interaction at the Shaka Harry event, Dhoni said there are at least five to six teams that have the chance, but India also are good and playing nicely. Earlier, Dhoni picked up an equity in India’s fastest growing plant protein startup Shaka Harry and picked up equity in the company. This development comes on the backdrop of Shaka Harry having recently received USD 2M in a seed funding round led by Better Bite Ventures, Blue Horizon and Panthera Peak Ventures. Other investors include Dexler Holdings, celebrity Chef Manu Chandra and a group of domestic family offices and angel investors. Dhoni is known to back sector-leading startups across the consumer segment. The plant protein segment has seen a lot of celebrity backing globally.
Plant protein diets are inherently more sustainable and its health benefits are driving more customer adoption. Speaking about the partnership, Dhoni said, “I love everything chicken, but increasingly, I am looking at a more balanced diet. It is much easier with products from Shaka Harry, which has a wide range that delivers a healthier experience to that of traditional meat dishes. For a growing population, current protein sources aren’t sustainably as scalable.”We now have a choice to shift to smarter protein alternatives without compromising on taste and texture. The plant protein segment is an exciting consumer space. The team at Shaka Harry has all the ingredients to build a great company.”Anand Nagarajan, co-founder and CEO of Liberate Foods said, “We are very excited to have Dhoni partner with us in growing Shaka Harry. This is a validation of what we are building. Shaka Harry has the unique combination of the world’s best players.” On customer traction and plans going ahead, Anand added, “We are serving over 30,000 customers across 10 cities monthly, and expect to triple this number in the next few months. Shaka Harry will also be available on global shelves by the end of this year.”