Veganism Goes Viral: Compassion Now Meets Commerce in India
By Manu Shrivastava
It began as a whisper in urban corners—an impassioned plea for compassion, a dietary choice grounded in ethics and empathy. And now, it echoes across cities, sprawled across social media timelines, splayed across glossy café menus, and splashed across high-end fashion labels. Veganism, once an austere movement born of moral resistance, is back in focus—and this time, it has a filter, a campaign jingle, and a carefully curated reel for every message it delivers.
From Mumbai to Delhi, Bengaluru to Chennai, the resurgence is unmistakable. Vegan cafés have multiplied, oat milk is now an option at most coffee counters, and grocery shelves are stocked with everything from almond-based yoghurt to pea-protein patties. The urban Indian palate, once hesitant, has acquired a newfound taste for plant-based indulgence. And the shift isn’t restricted to menus alone.
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| Attendees at the 4th Vegan India Conference held in Mumbai in July 2025 |
A Lifestyle, Not Just A Diet
Veganism has expanded its terrain. It’s no longer just about what’s on the plate. It’s about what’s in the wardrobe, what’s used on the skin, what’s posted online, and what’s celebrated on stage. From vegan fashion runways showcasing mushroom-leather ensembles to zero-cruelty makeup lines dominating e-commerce portals, the movement has embraced a full-fledged identity overhaul.
Vegan conferences are being held in premier venues, complete with LED backdrops, branded notepads and almond-milk lattes served during breaks. Talks on ethical consumption, climate action, and plant-based transitions are packed with attendees—urban, aware, and aesthetically dressed.
Panels are broadcast live, hashtags are launched mid-event, and brand tie-ups announced with strategic flair. A movement once spurred by solitary conviction now finds itself fuelled by corporate sponsorships and influencer collaborations.
The Commercial Conundrum
At its core, veganism is a moral stance—against animal exploitation, against ecological devastation, against systemic cruelty. Yet, in its second coming, the very tools propelling its popularity raise questions. For every awareness post that goes viral, there’s a product being sold alongside—priced beyond the reach of the average consumer. Cruelty-free, perhaps. But exclusive? Certainly.
Veganism today often wears the garb of a lifestyle upgrade. The cafes are boutique, the apparel is couture, the food is gourmet. A jackfruit biryani that once cost the same as a regular thali now comes plated with microgreens and a side of pink Himalayan salt—and at triple the price. Vegan handbags, made from pineapple or cactus leather, are marketed with the same glitz once reserved for high-end leather brands.
In making compassion fashionable, a new paradox has emerged—can ethical choices be truly inclusive if they come with luxury tags?
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| Former Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud underlines the value of a plant-based diet |
The Urban Shift
Urban India has embraced the change with characteristic flair. Digital natives have taken to veganism as part wellness trend, part environmental action, and part social statement. Food bloggers document soy keema recipes, fitness influencers swear by plant protein blends, and reels glorify smoothie bowls adorned with chia seeds and edible flowers.
The messaging has evolved too. Gone is the guilt-tripping. In its place is a cleaner, shinier proposition: veganism as cool, convenient, and conscientious. And this palatable packaging is what is drawing in the masses. Not necessarily for the animals. Not always for the planet. But for the optics, the health benefits, and the rising social currency of being “on trend.”
Here lies the irony. The very market-driven gloss that sits uneasily with the purists is what’s driving adoption at scale. The same influencers being critiqued for monetising the movement are the ones introducing veganism to millions who may never have paused to consider it otherwise.
A Necessary Compromise
In a country where dairy is deity and meat is political, pushing the vegan agenda was never going to be easy. The commercial angle, while contradictory in spirit, has proved to be an efficient catalyst.
It brings visibility. It ensures reach. It turns solitary beliefs into social phenomena. And if in the process, a few cows are spared, a few chickens saved, a few forest acres protected, the ends begin to justify the means.
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There’s no denying that a certain dilution has occurred. The moral intensity that once defined veganism has been tempered by business interests. But in a world driven by visuals, virality, and valuations, perhaps it is this hybrid model—a cross between ethics and enterprise—that ensures longevity.
Because pure morality, while noble, often struggles to compete with market dynamics.
And in the hierarchy of outcomes, a diluted vegan movement that saves animals still trumps an idealistic one that’s ignored.
Toward A Balanced Future
What remains to be seen is whether this glittering, commodified version of veganism can retain its core—or whether it will, like so many other trends, burn bright and fade away. The challenge lies in keeping the essence alive amidst the expansion, in ensuring that the conversation does not become solely about brands, but also about beings.
As more urban Indians reach for oat milk lattes and mushroom leather shoes, the hope is that some will stop to ask why they choose them.
And if the answer, even for a few, is compassion over convenience, the movement will have succeeded—despite its contradictions.
Because sometimes, to take a moral message to the masses, you have to sell it first.
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