“The retail landscape for sports nutrition continues to morph at rapid scale both online and offline”

Justin Becker, SVP International, Nutrabolt

As one of the world’s leading performance nutrition companies, Nutrabolt—the brand behind C4, XTEND and Cellucor—has played a key role in shaping science-backed sports nutrition globally. With India’s fitness market accelerating but trust remaining a challenge, Nutrabolt has entered a strategic agreement with Nutraprep India Pvt. Ltd. to manufacture and distribute select products locally, aligned with its international standards. In an interview with NUFFOODS Spectrum Justin Becker, SVP – International, Nutrabolt, discuss the company’s India strategy and this partnership. Edited excerpts; 

What key success metrics does Nutrabolt expect from the India partnership in the first 12–24 months?

Nutrabolt expects to establish a single supply source providing Indian retailers on-going consistent supply and support so that our consumer demand can be met. The brand will be measuring accessibility across the full omni channel so that consumers can easily search and find C4, Xtend and Cellucor at major retailers both online and offline.

How does India fit into Nutrabolt’s broader global expansion strategy?

India presents a high growth potential given its current market cap and consumer adoption of a healthier lifestyle. We anticipate the market to be highly strategic in the next 12-24 months. India could be a top 5 market for Nutrabolt in the foreseeable future given its strategic agreements.

What long-term product roadmap does Nutrabolt envision for the Indian market beyond C4 and Xtend?

We will be strategically focused on laying the roots across energy, recovery, endurance and protein.

What level of technology transfer will be provided to Nutra Prep, and how is consistency with global formulations ensured?

Our teams are working collaboratively with Nutrabolt R&D, product development and sourcing teams so that we provide a consistent product offering and shared level of tech transfer. This is a joint effort between all parties both internally and externally utilising approved Nutrabolt suppliers to ensure consistency.

How will Nutrabolt support Nutra Prep in maintaining quality benchmarks identical to US/global markets?

Nutrabolt has shared out its global standards with respect to quality and all products must go through a joint review between Nutraprep and Nutrabolt before they are released into the marketplace.

Will R&D teams from Nutrabolt collaborate directly with Nutra Prep for localised product innovations?

Yes, our teams are communicating to build out a future road map.

How is Nutrabolt supporting alignment with FSSAI and other Indian regulatory standards during the transition to local manufacturing?

The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) guidelines are publicly published and with the support of Nutrabolt’s internal regulatory team, Nutraprep’s in market expertise and the support of outside regulatory councils. It is our objective to ensure that we are following the local regulatory framework.

Will there be shared responsibility in auditing manufacturing and quality protocols?

Yes, this has been conducted both via desk audit but also several in person site audits which are due to anniversary each year.

How does Nutrabolt view India’s growth potential compared to other emerging markets?

Very strong potential. The retail landscape continues to morph at rapid scale both online and offline. India continues to lead the way with major retailers continuously evolving to meet the modern needs of today’s busy consumers. This isn’t the same for other emerging markets. We recognise India as a leader in this space and its consumers are seeking better for your alternatives.

What market segments does Nutrabolt consider the biggest opportunities (e.g., performance athletes, general fitness audiences, lifestyle consumers)?

Nutrabolt prides itself on making our products accessible to all. While performance athletes use the brand globally, and the brand’s origins are cantered as the athlete, we find that the general fitness enthusiast looking to make progress are really the ones who can benefit from the integration of our products.

Narayan Kulkarni 

narayan.kulkarni@mmactiv.com