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NDTV
10 hours ago
- Business
- NDTV
Swiggy Rolls Out 'High Protein' Category On App To Promote Healthier Eating
Food delivery platform Swiggy has rolled out a new feature for users wanting to make healthier food choices. The company recently announced the launch of a dedicated 'High Protein' category on its app, which is now available across 30 cities in India. The initiative responds to the growing consumer demand for protein-rich meals. It is also designed "to make high protein food items and meals more visible, accessible, and integrated into everyday ordering behaviour," as per Swiggy. The new category already includes over 5 lakh dishes curated from more than 35,000 restaurant partners across cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, and Chandigarh, among others. Also Read: Swiggy Launches New Travel And Lifestyle App 'Crew': What It Does And How It Works How Does Swiggy's High-Protein Feature Work? Each dish listed under this category meets specific nutritional criteria: At least 15 grams of protein 700 kcal value or less A protein-to-calorie ratio of 10% or more "Proteins are an essential part of our daily intake," said Deepak Maloo, Vice President of Food Strategy, Customer Experience & New Initiatives at Swiggy. "With this launch, we aim to make high-protein dishes more accessible to our users, enabling better health and well-being. We will continue partnering with restaurants to expand these offerings." The launch of Swiggy's new feature follows a successful pilot phase where over 1.8 million users explored high-protein meals through the app. While metros like Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi led in orders, cities like Chandigarh also showed strong interest. This implies that there is indeed widespread demand for foods with high protein content. How To Use Swiggy's High-Protein Search Feature? The High Protein category is designed for easy discovery: Users can search terms like "Protein" or "Diet" on the Swiggy app to access the section. Dishes are organised by protein content, and users can filter by ingredients (specific protein sources) like paneer or soya. They can also browse protein-rich options within selected restaurants. Also Read: Swiggy User Ordered 200 Pizzas Worth Rs 45,000 In Single Order, Company Reveals Why The Focus On Protein? Several reports and studies have highlighted protein deficiencies in the Indian diet. In recent times, an increased interest in formal fitness and nutrition routines has also led to a heightened awareness of the importance of protein. Swiggy cited a report by ICRISAT, IFPRI, and CESS, which reveals that two-thirds of households in India's semi-arid tropics fall short of the recommended protein intake. It also mentioned an IMRB survey, which revealed that 73% of Indians are protein-deficient, with only 10% consuming sufficient protein in their daily diets. Swiggy's new category apparently aims to bridge this gap by making healthy food more visible and convenient. Advertisement For the latest food news, health tips and recipes, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and YouTube. Tags: Swiggy Swiggy New Feature Swiggy High Protein Category High Protein Food News Show full article Comments
Eyewitness News
08-07-2025
- General
- Eyewitness News
Crops wither in war-torn Sudan as power cuts cripple irrigation
KHARTOUM - Hatem Abdelhamid stands amid his once-thriving date palms in northern Sudan, helpless as a prolonged war-driven power outage cripples irrigation, causing devastating crop losses and deepening the country's food crisis. "I've lost 70 to 75 percent of my crops this year," he said, surveying the dying palms in Tanqasi, a village on the Nile in Sudan's Northern State. "I'm trying really hard to keep the rest of the crops alive," he told AFP. Sudan's agricultural sector - already battered by a two-year conflict and economic crisis - is now facing another crushing blow from the nationwide power outages. Since the war between the regular army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces began in April 2023, state-run power plants have been repeatedly targeted, suffering severe damage and ultimately leaving farms without water. Like most Sudanese farms, Abdelhamid's depends on electric-powered irrigation - but the system has been down "for over two months" due to the blackouts. Sudan had barely recovered from the devastating 1985 drought and famine when war erupted again in 2023, delivering a fresh blow to the country's agriculture. Agriculture remains the main source of food and income for 80% of the population, according to the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). Now in its third year, the conflict has plunged more than half the population into acute food insecurity, with famine already taking hold in at least five areas and millions more at risk across conflict-hit regions in the west, centre and south. The war has also devastated infrastructure, killed tens of thousands of people, and displaced 13 million. WIPED OUT A 2024 joint study by the United Nations Development Programme and the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) found that nearly a third of rural households have lost irrigation and water access since the war began. Without electricity to power his irrigation system, Abdelhamid - like thousands of farmers across the country - was forced to rely on diesel-powered pumps. But with fuel scarce and prices now more than 20 times higher than before the war, even that option is out of reach for many. "I used to spend 10,000 Sudanese pounds [about four euros according to the black-market rate] for irrigation each time," said another farmer, Abdelhalim Ahmed. "Now it costs me 150,000 pounds [around 60 euros] because there is no electricity," he told AFP. Ahmed said he has lost three consecutive harvests - including crops like oranges, onions, tomatoes and dates. With seeds, fertilisers and fuel now barely available, many farmers say they won't be able to replant for the next cycle. In April, the FAO warned that "below average rainfall', and ongoing instability were closing the window to prevent further deterioration. A June study by IFPRI also projected Sudan's overall economic output could shrink by as much as 42% if the war continues, with the agricultural sector contracting by more than a third. "Our analysis shows massive income losses across all households and a sharp rise in poverty, especially in rural areas and among women," said Khalid Siddig, a senior research fellow at IFPRI.
Mint
26-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Manufacturing versus services: Why privilege one over the other?
This column looks at the relative importance of the manufacturing industry and services in India's growth story and discusses our required policy priorities in that context. The origin of modern development theory can be traced to the regularities that Simon Kuznets and others observed in the 1950s and 1960s on how the structure of an economy evolves with growth. A key feature he observed is that as per capita GDP (a concept he invented) rises, the dominant sector of the economy shifts from agriculture to industry and then services. This regularity, combined with Arthur Lewis's foundational theory about how the transfer of labour and surplus from a traditional agricultural sector to a modern industrial sector constitutes the fundamental process of development, became the core of development economics. Also Read: Rahul Jacob: Manufacturing is crying out for a reality check These pillars were supplemented with seminal contributions by many others, but the main focus of enquiry was on the transfer of labour and savings from a traditional agricultural sector to a modern industrial sector, especially manufacturing, which was seen as representative of the entire capitalist non-agricultural sector. The key policy debate at this sectoral boundary between agriculture and the rest of the economy was about the desirability and appropriate scale of the surplus transfer out of agriculture. Theodore Shultz wrote about the importance of transforming traditional agriculture. Mellor and his school of economists at IFPRI developed models of agriculture-led growth. Ishikawa argued that growth in developing economies required a reverse transfer of resources into agriculture. My own doctoral thesis investigated the interaction between inter-sectoral resource transfers and patterns of long-term growth in India. Also Read: Manoj Pant: Let's prepare well for negotiations on trade in services Since then, the sectoral boundary of interest in India and policy debate have shifted. The boundary in focus now is between industry, especially manufacturing industry, and services. There is a broadly held view among economists that manufacturing has to lead development. However, on close questioning of why they think so, the response is usually a cursory reference to historical experience. Manufacturing industry indeed led the high growth phase of many countries in Europe after the Industrial Revolution. This is also true of East Asian countries in their high-growth phase. But how much of that growth in Europe is attributable to surplus transfers from colonies—and in East Asia to their strategic and economic alliance with America—remains an open question. Of the 30 most advanced countries in the world today (in per capita GDP terms, excluding some small island economies), manufacturing accounts for 10% or less of GDP in a third of these and 15% or less in another third. Ireland is the only outlier where manufacturing accounts for over 29% of GDP. Also Read: Services led exports are a mixed blessing for the Indian economy So, what is the evidence pointing to the special importance of manufacturing? The only evidence-based answers I have seen are those by Professors Veeramani and Nagesh Kumar. Both of them argue that strong backward and forward linkages unique to manufacturing industry make it an ideal sector to lead developing economies. Surprisingly, few remember the robust theory of manufacturing-led growth developed by Nicholas Kaldor 50 years ago. Building on the even earlier work of Allyn Young, Kaldor argued that manufacturing typically has the characteristic of increasing returns to scale, driving down costs but correspondingly increasing demand as multiple industries reinforce one another in an expanding process of cumulative causation. Keynesian demand management can greatly strengthen this process. Thus, there are compelling reasons for expecting manufacturing to play a leading role in an economy like India's. If so, why has the long-term record of industrial growth been relatively unimpressive? Industry has typically grown at around 5-6% annually during the past 70 years and its GDP share has risen from around 15% to 29% over this period (see data chart). Actually, much of our high industrial growth in recent decades is attributable to mining, utilities and especially construction. The share of manufacturing industry is only around 17%. In contrast, the share of services in GDP has grown from 20.6% at the outset to 53% today, its average decadal growth during the last 40 years being in the range of 7-8% annually. The more dynamic performance of services is also reflected in its rising share of employment and, significantly, in our growing trade surplus in services. This is in sharp contrast with our trade deficit in goods. It is sometimes argued that manufacturing has been hamstrung by dysfunctional regulations and undue interference by an overbearing state. But it is the same regulatory ecosystem in which the services sector has performed so much better. Also Read: Services offer a fast and reliable path to economic development Thus, from a policy perspective, we must ask: Why is the slogan of 'Make in India' and related policy incentives limited only to manufacturing industry, when, say, transport and trade services, financial services, hospitality, education, health and other services are just as important as tangible goods like textiles, steel, cars or pharmaceuticals? We should carefully study the only two decades when industry grew significantly faster than services, 1950-51 to 1960-61 and 2000-01 to 2010-11. What made the difference? Meanwhile, the government would do well to pursue at least an even-handed policy between industry and services, especially if it wishes to maximize employment growth and minimize or eliminate India's trade deficit. These are the author's personal views The author is chairman, Centre for Development Studies.
The Hindu
27-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
India's burden of malnutrition and obesity: where diet makes or breaks
For the past eight years or so Sobha, who is in her 50s and works as a domestic help, has been diabetic. Apart from religiously taking her metformin tablets, she did not think too much about her condition. Recently, however, constant fatigue, swollen ankles, and vision problems made her go back to her doctor. She was shocked when she was told that her blood sugar levels were too high, her haemoglobin and vitamin D levels were dangerously low, and that she was borderline obese. 'But I eat a normal diet and I do not indulge in sweets often. I do not know why my sugar is high or why I seem to be putting on weight, despite not eating much. The doctor wants me to eat more vegetables and fruits and switch from rice to ragi. But I work as a domestic help and mostly eat the food provided by my employers. Also, I cannot afford to buy fruits and vegetables on my income. Even fish has become so expensive. We also do not get pulses or legumes at subsidised rates from ration shops anymore,' she says. Sobha's story is being played out across the country. People like her are among the millions of malnourished, obese, persons with diabetes in the country, who will, over time, develop serious complications of diabetes such as renal failure because basic lifestyle changes-- especially dietary changes -- that are required to keep non-communicable diseases (NCDs) under control are beyond their means. Eating healthy is expensive 'In a bid to ensure that people do not go hungry, the nation opted for food security, and for this calorie-dense grains and cereals are supplied at subsidised rates to people through the public distribution system. But it is the poor in the country who are now paying the price for the lack of nutritional content and dietary diversity in their food with their health. Healthy foods are expensive, and in the absence of any policy-level effort to make these accessible to the poor, the cycle of malnutrition, obesity, and NCDs will continue,' says T.S. Anish, Associate Professor of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Manjeri. The Global Food Policy Report 2024, 'Food systems for healthy diets and nutrition', released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) last year, reported that 16.6 % of Indians suffered from malnutrition because of poor dietary habits. It said that at least 38 % of the Indian population ate unhealthy foods, while only 28 % ate all five recommended food groups, which included at least one starchy staple food, one vegetable, one fruit, one pulse, nut or seed, and one animal-source food. Yet another report, the United Nations' State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report published in July last year said that 55.6% of Indians cannot afford a healthy, balanced, and diverse diet because eating healthy is a costly affair. This is however lower than the 2017 data, when the figure was 69.5 %. The report, published by five UN agencies, described a 'healthy diet' as comprising four key aspects: diversity (within and across food groups), adequacy (sufficiency of all essential nutrients compared to requirements), moderation (foods and nutrients that are related to poor health outcomes) and balance (energy and macronutrient intake). Economic and gender disparities Socio-economic and gender disparities have been fuelling India's double burden of malnutrition -- a paradox wherein malnutrition co-exists with obesity. According to the WHO, 'the double burden of malnutrition is characterised by the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight and obesity, or diet-related noncommunicable diseases, within individuals, households, and populations, and across the life course.' Urbanisation seems to be one of the driving factors of this double burden, as the urban lifestyle encourages the easy availability of high-fat and ultra-processed food and beverages. The situation is exacerbated by additional factors such as low levels of physical activity and sedentary lifestyles. Maternal undernutrition compromises foetal growth and increases the risk of children who may be underweight, stunted, and micronutrient deficient. On the other hand, maternal obesity or overnutrition could lead to gestational weight gain (possibly complicated by gestational diabetes) and babies who run the risk of insulin resistance in later life. As per National Family Health Survey - 5 data, under-nutrition in children is rampant -- 36% stunted, 19% wasted, 32% underweight -- while among adults, 31.7% of women and 28.6% of men in urban areas and 19% of women and 18.8% men in rural areas were obese. Too many carbs, too little protein The Dietary Guidelines for Indians (DGIs) developed by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)-National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR-NIN), Hyderabad, and released last year, said that 56.4% of total disease burden in India could be attributed to unhealthy diets. The report recommended that no more than 45% of calories in the daily diet should come from cereals and millets; 15% from pulses, and beans (protein sources), and the rest should come from nuts, vegetables, fruits, and milk. But the reality of the Indian diet is that it is highly deficient in protein, with nearly 70% of the caloric requirement met through carbohydrates and the intake of micronutrient-rich vegetables, and fruits much below recommended levels. In 2019, the EAT-Lancet Commission published recommendations about healthy diet patterns that can sustain 10 billion people in an environmentally friendly manner by 2050. In 2020, the International Food Policy Research Institute published a paper on how well the Indian dietary pattern fitted in with the EAT-Lancet reference diet. The study found that Indian households who spend the least on food show the greatest reliance on whole grains, starches, and processed foods, with little else. This pattern is maintained across the rural-urban divide. Protein makes up only 6-8% of the caloric intake, against the 30% in the reference diet. Fruits and vegetables make up about 8% of daily calories in the reference diet. The wealthiest city dwellers get almost a third of their calories from processed foods. Even among the poorest, 8% of calories come from these foods for urban and rural residents. In South India, processed foods make up 13% of diets, vs. 8% in North-east and North India. The study pointed towards 'a lack of availability, accessibility, awareness, and acceptability' as other major causes for the poor quality of Indian diets and recommended that subsidies on healthy foods should be the norm. Large-scale awareness campaigns were needed to help people understand why their dietary diversity needed to improve. The need for affordable, diverse diets Sreejith N. Kumar, a Thiruvananthapuram-based physician who has been at the forefront of Eat Right campaigns in Kerala, says that dietary diversity or the quality of one's diet need not be a complicated affair. 'One just needs to follow the 'MyPlate' dietary guideline (from the U.S. Department of Agriculture) which says that half of your plate be filled with fruits and vegetables, a quarter each is filled with grains and protein. This roughly falls in line with the ICMR-NIN guidelines that no more than 45% of calories come from cereals,' he says. The heavy reliance on carbs in every meal and sedentary work has led to spiralling levels of abdominal obesity in both rural and urban India. This excessive carb and fructose (from sugary, processed foods) intake is the starting point of fatty liver disease, a phenomenon that has engulfed Kerala, Dr. Sreejith says. Ensuring dietary diversity or the consumption from a wide range of food groups is key to achieving optimal nutrition and staving off micronutrient deficiencies and thus malnutrition. NFHS-5 data shows that only 28% of adults consume all five recommended food groups. Dr. Sreejith says that the first imperative to healthy eating should be awareness of the importance of dietary diversity and a change in mindset on what needs to be on one's plate. 'For healthy eating to be affordable, the accent should be on encouraging people to eat vegetables and fruits which are locally and seasonally available. You do not need broccoli, spinach, and Greek yoghurt, but can opt for the innumerable varieties of leafy vegetables (amaranthus), moringa leaves, and other local vegetables (eg: banana stem and flower). Eggs are an affordable source of protein,' he says. The idea is to prioritise vegetables, include moderate amounts of protein and fat, and lower the amount of carbs. The need for healthy food policies In Kerala, local self-governments and Kudumbasree units have taken up several initiatives at the ward level to encourage household vegetable farming in grow bags so that fresh produce is available at least in a small way in every household. However, larger policy initiatives are needed to support the nutritional requirements of a huge section of the nation's population, including the subsidised supply of healthy and diverse food options as well as the imposition of a fat tax or health tax on the sale of ultra-processed and high fatty foods to limit the consumption of these items. In this context, Arun Gupta, paediatrician, public health expert, and convenor of the Nutrition Advocacy in Public Interest, points out that weak and subjective labelling and advertising laws are letting junk food giants enjoy the freedom to make profits at the expense of public health. In an article in The Hindu, 'Flawed food regulations fuel the obesity crisis', Dr. Gupta says that the Economic Survey 2025 recommendation that a health tax be imposed on ultra-processed foods to curb their consumption is being derailed by the same 'industry-friendly, subjective food marketing regulations'. 'India should adopt a stringent front-of-pack marketing labelling system (to curb unrestricted advertisements of unhealthy processed foods); fix clear salt/sugar/fat limits for foods high in fat/salt and sugar and frame stringent advertising laws. Lastly, the government should consider launching a campaign on the risks of consuming ultra-processed food in all languages,' Dr. Gupta adds. At the State-level too, farming policies should be able to leverage local food systems which include a diverse variety of local vegetables, pulses, and millets, so that the nutritional content of diets can be improved.
Time of India
30-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
Govt evaluates rice fallow mgmt programme
1 2 3 Bhubaneswar: The govt on Wednesday launched the findings of an evaluation of the department of agriculture and farmers' empowerment's comprehensive rice fallow management (CRFM) programme. Deputy chief minister and agriculture and farmers' empowerment minister K V Singh Deo said, "Odisha is committed towards a data-driven inclusive agricultural transformation pathway. Evaluations of this stature help the department make informed decisions that strengthen rural livelihoods and support our farmers." The study was conducted by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI). CRFM is aimed at promoting the cultivation of pulses and oilseeds in post-monsoon (Rabi season) rice fallow land across the state. The evaluation, based on a combination of satellite data, administrative data, and rigorous impact evaluation techniques , offers early insights into patterns of land use, crop productivity and the inclusion of smallholders and marginalised communities, official sources said. The CRFM programme is currently operational across all 30 districts.
