Sridhar Varadaraj, an engineer and a health enthusiast who has climbed some of the highest mountains in the world like Kilimanjaro, Mont Blanc and Matterhorn, established a start-up, Zago, to make healthy drinks after facing a shortage of nutritious food during his runs.
“It can really mess up your race or activity if you are having the wrong kind of food,” said Mr. Varadaraj, 47, founder of Bengaluru-based firm, in an interview.
Ready-to-drink protein
Mr. Varadaraj, who has a master’s in bioengineering from University of Pennsylvania, founded the firm in 2013 with his personal savings. After spending almost three years on research and development, Zago has come up with ready-to-drink protein and oats products. Its ‘Body Buddy’ product is a post workout ready-to-drink protein for active consumers like runners and athletes.
Mr. Varadaraj has participated in the Geneva and Jungfrau marathons in Switzerland, the Great Wall Marathon and the Ironman Triathlon.
The other product called ‘Breakfast Shake’ contains Australian oats, proteins and vitamins. It is ideal for students and working professionals who skip meals and are hard pressed for time. One such consumer is S. Thiagarajamurthy, a leading chief cardio-thoracic surgeon. He said the ‘Breakfast Shake’ allows him to continue performing complex surgeries without a break as a full meal is not practically possible during that time.“Surgical procedures are demanding not just on the mind but also on the body,” said Mr. Thiagarajamurthy, in a statement.
According to nutrition consultant Nikita Suresh, almost one in four Indians skip breakfast. She said that omitting breakfast has been linked to obesity, diabetes and other metabolic disorders. “Being pressed for time, consumers are looking for quick but nutritious options,” said Ms. Suresh, in a statement.
Zago, which has a team of 100 people makes these drinks at a facility in Bengaluru. They come in flavours like chocolate, almond and mango. Due to the hot temperature and unreliable cold chain in the country, Zago has come up with a novel recipe and packaging due to which these drinks don't need to be refrigerated.
Gluten free
Zago said that its drinks are free from lactose, soya, gluten and preservatives. “We are the only protein drink in the world which need not be refrigerated,” said Mr. Varadaraj. The firm is also planning to come up with a solid super-food product in the next few months.
Zago is now present in about eight cities including Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. It sells its products through various retail outlets, gyms and online retailers like Amazon and Healthkart. The firm is now planning to export them to the Middle East and the Far East region.
