TL;DR: 1.5 Degree is proving that the path to climate impact in food isn't just through individual plates, but through massive institutional contracts. By targeting corporate cafeterias and hotels, they are achieving a 72% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions at scale.
Why is 1.5 Degree focusing on institutional food rather than retail?
While many plant-based startups struggle with the high cost of retail customer acquisition, 1.5 Degree (led by Vedansh Goyal) has pivotally focused on "institutional intent." By securing long-term contracts with corporate cafeterias, hotels, and large dining operations, they ensure stable revenue streams and a guaranteed volume of impact. As of February 2026, nearly 80% of their revenue is locked into these institutional agreements, allowing them to scale manufacturing across Mumbai, Pune, and Bengaluru efficiently.
How does this contribute to India's climate goals?
The startup claims its plant-based dairy and nutrition products deliver up to a 72% lower greenhouse gas footprint compared to conventional dairy. In a country like India, which is the world's largest milk producer, decarbonizing the "institutional" supply chain—where massive quantities are consumed daily—is a strategic masterstroke for reaching net-zero targets.
Vichaarak Perspective
The "1.5 Degree" name itself is a nod to the global warming limit, but their strategy is purely pragmatic. I believe the future of Indian sustainability lies in B2B Decarbonization. It is far easier to convince one HR head to switch a corporate kitchen to plant-based milk than to convince 10,000 individual employees. This is where "Choice Architecture" meets climate tech.
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Analysis by harkirat1892, leveraging Google-certified cloud expertise to analyze startup scalability.