Alpino is an Indian health food brand that offers natural, high-protein products like peanut butter, oats, and muesli. It focuses on clean ingredients, minimal processing, and promoting a healthy lifestyle, making it popular among fitness-conscious consumers.
Alpino says that it has established itself as a trusted name in the nutrition space with a diverse portfolio ranging from peanut butter to protein-rich snacks. The brand continues to focus on making healthy eating accessible, convenient, and enjoyable, while catering to the evolving needs of modern consumers through quality ingredients and innovative formulations.
Mumbai-based, PR and marketing agency Glad U Came recently secured the PR mandate for Alpino. The account was won following a multi-agency pitch, further reinforcing Glad U Came’s growing reputation for delivering innovative, results-driven campaigns in the lifestyle and wellness space.
As part of the mandate, Glad U Came will lead the strategic planning and execution of integrated PR and influencer marketing campaigns across digital platforms. The focus will be on strengthening Alpino’s positioning as a go-to brand for fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious consumers, while driving awareness, engagement, and brand recall at scale.
Through a mix of targeted media outreach, compelling storytelling, and creator-led collaborations, the agency aims to build a strong and credible narrative for Alpino in an increasingly competitive health and wellness market.
The partnership comes at a time when consumer preferences are rapidly shifting towards healthier, more mindful eating habits, creating a significant opportunity for brands like Alpino to lead the category.
Medianews4u.com caught up with Chetan Kanani, Founder Alpino
Q. Could you talk about the gap that existed in the market for healthy foods that led to the launch of Alpino?
When we started in 2016, our initial thought was actually to export peanut butter, because India grows a huge quantity of peanuts, and a large share of that is used abroad for products like peanut oil and peanut butter. But when we looked closer at the Indian market, we found an even bigger opportunity.
At that time, peanut butter was still a very new category for Indian consumers. There was no strong, established brand that was fully focused on peanut butter products. We saw that as a risk worth taking. We launched Alpino with one simple idea — to introduce India to clean, high-quality peanut butter, starting with one of India’s first all-natural peanut butter products.
That was the beginning, and from there we kept building on the belief that healthy eating in India could be both better and more exciting.
Q. How have Alpino’s high-quality, protein-rich, and clean-label offerings helped it stay ahead in a competitive market?
From day one, our focus has been very clear; we want to make products that are healthy, tasty, and affordable at the same time. We never wanted to compromise on quality, because in the long run, quality is what builds trust.
Marketing can bring a customer to your brand once, but only a strong product can make that customer come back again and again. That is something we have believed in from the start.
After COVID, the healthy foods space in India became much more competitive. Many new brands entered the market, and consumers also became more aware and more demanding. That competition has actually helped us become better. It keeps pushing us to innovate, improve our products, and stay close to what the customer really wants.
Our clean-label and protein-rich approach has worked because people today don’t just want a healthy-looking product, they want something that genuinely delivers on nutrition, taste, and trust.
Q. How did the appearance on Shark Tank India boost brand visibility and help with investor support?
Shark Tank India was honestly far bigger than we had imagined. We had been watching Shark Tank USA since our college days, but at that time we never thought something like that would come to India.
We went on Season 1 without huge expectations. But when our episode aired, the response was unbelievable. During the live telecast, we had more than 25,000 people on our website and over 17,000 active carts. For us, that was a massive moment.
We were also the first brand from our category to appear on Shark Tank India, which helped us get a huge amount of attention. One interesting fact is that we were the only brand in Season 1 that turned down an all-shark deal. It was a bold decision at the time, but it worked in our favour. We got nationwide visibility, strong consumer trust, and even after years, people still remember Alpino as one of the standout brands from the show.
That appearance gave us more than exposure; it gave us long-term credibility.
Q. For 2026, what goals have been set in areas like growing revenue, broadening the product portfolio, and what is the game plan to get there?
Over the last three years, we have seen over 200% year-on-year growth, and for FY 2026–27, we are targeting around ₹250 crore in net revenue.
To reach that, we are expanding Alpino beyond just products into stronger lifestyle-led categories.
We are launching two important sub-categories:
1. Alpino Protein Café
This is a health café concept specially designed for sportspeople, athletes, and health-conscious consumers. All recipes are developed in-house using Alpino products. The idea is to offer clean, fresh, protein-rich food with zero added sugar and preservatives.
2. Alpino SuperONE
This is our supplement sub-brand under Alpino. Through SuperONE, we are launching what we believe is India’s first truly all-in-one supplement product, combining 83+ functional ingredients in a single solution. It is designed to support daily human health needs, with faster absorption and formulation aligned with ICMR guidelines.
Our game plan is simple: keep building unique products, keep innovating with purpose, and keep strengthening our omni-channel presence both online and offline.
Q. Are the current geopolitical tensions a challenge, particularly in terms of LPG availability?
Yes, definitely. Like many industries, the food industry is highly dependent on commercial LPG. It is one of the most essential inputs in production, and without it, it is not possible to manufacture most food products.
Initially, we did face supply-side issues, especially around availability. That situation has improved over time, and the supply is much more stable. The bigger issue now is pricing. LPG prices have gone up significantly, in our case, almost three times compared to earlier levels.
That creates direct pressure on manufacturing costs, and in some cases, we are forced to revise MRP in order to sustain the business responsibly.
Q. Glad U Came will lead the strategic planning and execution of integrated PR and influencer marketing campaigns across digital platforms. What would this entail?
For us, this partnership is about building a sharper, more consistent national communication strategy for Alpino. Glad U Came will help us shape and execute our PR and influencer outreach in a more structured way across digital platforms.
This will include media storytelling, founder-led narratives, product-focused PR, influencer collaborations, campaign amplification, and stronger positioning of Alpino in the health, fitness, and nutrition space.
As Alpino enters a new stage of growth, we want our communication to reflect not just our products, but also our larger purpose: making healthy eating fun and building a protein-aware India. This partnership will help us take that message to the right audiences in a bigger way.
Q. Why was Glad U Came chosen?
We have worked with Glad U Came before on multiple projects, and we have always had a very positive working relationship with them. There is already trust, understanding, and comfort in the way we work together.
At this stage, we wanted a partner who understands our brand, our speed, and our long-term ambition. Glad U Came felt like the right fit to continue this journey with us.
Q. Could you talk about some of the marketing campaigns and innovations that one can expect in the coming months?
Haha, I don’t want to spoil too much for our team, but yes, a lot is coming.
Over the next 12 months, people can expect many exciting campaigns from Alpino. Some will be fun and humorous, which is very natural to our brand tone, and some will be more serious and educational, especially around protein awareness and better food choices.
Of course, Shilpa Shetty will be part of some of our upcoming campaigns, but beyond that, we are also collaborating with many more people from the industry. Stay tuned!
Q. What will the media mix be between traditional and digital media?
We are still a startup and a digital-first brand. Our core audience is mainly in the 18–24 age group, and that audience lives on digital platforms.
So, for now, our media approach will continue to be strongly digital-led. We believe digital gives us sharper targeting, better storytelling, stronger performance tracking, and more meaningful engagement with our audience.
At least until we reach a much larger scale, say around ₹500 crore in revenue. We plan to stay focused on digital.
Q. Will the main aim of marketing be to strengthen Alpino’s positioning as a go-to brand for fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious consumers?
At the heart of Alpino is one simple idea: making healthy eating fun, and not a burden.
We make products that are healthy yet tasty, protein-rich, and made with high-quality peanuts from Junagadh. We are also the only company in the world that makes all its products with peanuts.
So yes, we absolutely want to strengthen our position among fitness enthusiasts and health-conscious consumers. But beyond that, we also want to expand healthy eating into everyday households. We want Alpino to be seen not just as a fitness brand, but as a brand that makes better nutrition more enjoyable and more accessible.
Q. How do Gen Z and Gen Alpha perceive the health food category compared with their parents?
Since 2019–20, India has seen a real shift in awareness around health and wellness. Many brands, including us, have worked hard to make healthy eating more visible, more relatable, and less intimidating.
The younger audience, especially Gen Z, has become one of the earliest adopters in this category. They are more open to trying new products, more aware of labels, and more influenced by creators, athletes, and digital content.
What starts with the younger generation often slowly enters households as a whole. So, in many ways, Gen Z and Gen Alpha are not just consumers in this category; they are also drivers of change.
Q. What shape will experiential marketing take through a presence in malls, multiplexes, etc.? How important will product sampling be?
Product sampling is one of the best investments a brand can make.
When consumers can directly see, touch, and taste the product before buying it, the trust level goes up immediately. That has always been a key part of our approach.
For Alpino, tasting and sampling are very important tools, especially because our products are often different from what consumers are used to. We actively look at on-ground touchpoints like gyms, flea markets, exhibitions, events, malls, and similar spaces to help more people experience the brand directly.
So yes, experiential marketing and product sampling will continue to be a major part of our growth plan.
Q. How will Alpino approach B2B marketing to strengthen relationships with distributors both online and on the ground?
From the very beginning, Alpino has been an omnichannel brand. While we are known for our strong presence in e-commerce and quick commerce, we have also built a strong offline B2B network over the years.
Today, we are present in around 120 cities across India and available at more than 12,000 retail counters. We are also present in major modern trade chains such as Reliance Retail, Freshpik, Metro Cash & Carry, Azfan, Rajmandir, and soon, DMart.
To support this growth, we have built an on-ground sales team of more than 40 people across 10 cities. Our B2B focus is on strong partner relationships, better retail visibility, efficient supply, and consistent communication, both online and offline.
Q. How is Alpino leveraging AI across the company, from product innovation to marketing that cuts through the clutter?
AI is helping us become faster and smarter across different business functions.
Today, we use AI mainly for research, market analysis, ideation, and decision support. It helps us process data better, identify insights faster, and improve our thinking across product development, content, and marketing.
At a broader level, we are also building something internally called Alpino OS, a system that brings everything under one roof, from sales to marketing, finance, production, logistics, procurement, accounts, and HR, with AI playing a role in making the system more efficient and connected.
