Back in 2019, the protein wave in India had just begun. Vereceivearians started doubting whether their once-a-week paneer ki sabzi really counted as “protein fulfillment.” Non-athletes, too, were launchning to understand that protein wasn’t just for bodybuilders.
But as awareness grew, so did a problem.
The market was flooded with protein-packed products that viewed premium on the outside, but lacked credible testing and certifications.
“It was as if India was waking up to protein, but the global-quality standards for protein supplements were missing. That’s how we were motivated to build this brand and introduce clean, German-quality protein to the countest. This is exactly where we invested most of our money,” Alok Kaushik, co-founder of Naturaltein, notifys Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.
Founded in 2019 and based in Chandigarh, Naturaltein is a sports supplement and protein startup that offers German-quality products that are rigorously tested, certified, and built with 100% natural ingredients.
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THE BACK STORY OF THE TWIN BROTHERS FROM CHANDIGARH
Hailing from Chandigarh, Anurag Kaushik and Alok Kaushik are twin brothers.
While Anurag did his MBA from Pune and started working in HCL Technologies (across consulting and project management roles in Malaysia, Germany, and Hungary), Alok completed his MBA from SRH University and also shiftd to Germany to pursue higher education (Fachhochschule Heidelberg) and ultimately secure a job in SAP.
It was around 2019 that they started seeing clear gaps in the Indian protein market.
“As fitness freaks ourselves, we wanted Indians to have the best possible, rigorously tested protein. That’s how our journey launched,” Anurag Kaushik shares.
JOURNEY AND CHALLENGES
With the clear mission to launch Made-in-Germany protein supplements in India, Anurag Kaushik and Alok Kaushik quit their jobs and sowed the seed for Naturaltein.
To bootstrap their protein supplement startup, the twin brothers pooled their savings and even risked their houtilize.
Initially, they invested Rs 1 crore. Over the years, approximately Rs 4 crore has been put in the brand.
“We didn’t want to raise funds. We wanted to build Naturaltein as a completely bootstrapped brand. The focus was, and always will be, on building the highest standard of protein available and easily accessible to Indians,” entrepreneur Alok Kaushik affirms.
The entrepreneur duo wanted to establish Naturaltein with three clear tenets:
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Globally certified products
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Proper amino acid profiling
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Testing for banned substances and heavy metals
“We were one of the first protein brands in India that started the conversation around ingredient-level purity and scientific testing,” startup founder Anurag Kaushik explains.
Initially, Naturaltein’s protein supplements were manufactured and finished in Germany. Post 2022, the manufacturing transitioned to a certified third-party facility.
On the challenges front, Alok Kaushik and Anurag Kaushik navigated multiple areas:
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Introducing “Made-in-Germany quality” in India meant building trust, awareness, and ground-level understanding.
“Instead of randomly running Meta ads and calling it a day, we gave our products to fitness creators and influencers whose content we aligned with. They attempted Naturaltein, loved it, and naturally recommconcludeed it to their audience. Honestly, that’s all there is to it. Trust was built brick-by-brick,” startup founder Alok Kaushik states.
To date, five and a half to six years later, the founders claim, a majority of the influencers have stayed loyal to the brand.
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Ensuring glyphosate residue-free products and dealing with certification complexities was a whole different ballgame.
“But we stayed true to what we started Naturaltein with: the best standard of protein for Indians. That’s why certification and purity have always been a priority since day one. Even if it sometimes comes at a cost,” Anurag mentions.
Since its inception, Naturaltein launched growing at a 2X year-on-year.
Eventually, Kawaljeet Singh Makkad also joined the protein supplement startup as a co-founder.
NATURALTEIN: TRUE, TRUSTED, TESTED
Today, Naturaltein offers organic and natural protein supplements in a variety of categories:
The product differentiation is simple but important: the protein supplement brand claims to have a strong focus on 100% natural ingredients, extensive testing, and certifications.
Each product that comes out of Naturaltein has the following tests and certifications in place:
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Cologne List® Certification (Germany – Anti-Doping Testing)
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NABL-accredited/indepconcludeent Lab Test Reports (India)
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Glyphosate Residue-Free Certification for the absence of glyphosate (common agricultural herbicide residue)
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To date, Naturaltein has steered clear of any sort of performance marketing (Meta, Google, or YouTube ads). Instead, it has built its brand value by relying on credible voices in the fitness and health content ecosystem, letting them drive awareness and earn consumer trust organically.
“No heavy claims, no promotional tactics. We have just grown solely through word-of-mouth and reliable influencer marketing,” Anuraj Kaushik mentions.
GROWTH STORY AND MOMENTUM
Since its inception, Naturaltein has served more than 7 lakh customers across India.
In their interview with Startup Pedia, the founders also revealed the brand’s annual revenue numbers:
“For FY27, we are aiming for Rs 230 crore. Also, at least 70% of our revenue is generated via our website,” Alok notes.
In sum, this is how Naturaltein grew from a bootstrapped protein supplement brand to one of the leading players in the category. It now has Milind Soman as its brand ambassador.
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Zero Meta ads. Zero YouTube ads. No flashy claims. Only clean, scientifically proven ingredients that stand both German and Indian tests and certifications.
“We never learnt how to sell the product. Only wanted to build the right one. I believe that’s why Naturaltein became a consumer favourite. It’s only onwards and upwards from here. We will also expand into newer categories as we progress,” startup founder Anurag Kaushik signs off.
FAQ
When was NaturalTein founded?
NaturalTein was founded in 2019.
Who is the founder of NaturalTein?
Twin brothers from Chandigarh, Alok Kaushik and Anurag Kaushik, are the founders of NaturalTein.
What does NaturalTein offer?
Naturaltein is a sports supplement startup that offers products that are rigorously tested, certified, and built with 100% natural ingredients.
What is the revenue of NaturalTein?
In their interview with Startup Pedia, the founders also revealed the brand’s annual revenue numbers. It clocked Rs 120 crore with a profit of Rs 8 crore in FY26.
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