Barista Teams Up with ITC YogaBar to Build Protein Coffee Category

Barista Coffee has partnered with ITC-owned YogaBar to launch a new range of protein-infused beverages, bringing functional nutrition into everyday café consumption. The collaboration combines Barista’s established coffee platform with YogaBar’s expertise in protein and nutrition products as consumers increasingly look for convenient ways to incorporate healthier choices into their daily routines.

The initial range features two protein-based beverages: the Iced Caramel Whey-chino and the Mocha ProMuscle Shake. Customers can also add YogaBar whey protein to existing milk-based beverages, including popular options such as lattes and cappuccinos. The products are being introduced across Barista’s network of more than 500 cafés.

The partnership reflects a broader shift in consumer behaviour, with protein increasingly moving beyond traditional supplements and fitness-focused products into everyday food and beverage categories. Barista and YogaBar are looking to position protein as part of familiar café occasions, making it easier for consumers to combine taste, convenience and nutrition in a single purchase.

Barista aims for protein-based beverages to contribute at least 10% of its overall beverage portfolio within the next two years. The company will initially evaluate consumer response to the new range over the coming months before considering further integration of protein across its frappes and other milk-based beverages.

The collaboration builds on an existing relationship between the two brands. Barista has already been selling YogaBar protein bars for nearly two years, while the companies spent around six months evaluating the opportunity to extend their partnership into beverages.

For YogaBar, the partnership provides an opportunity to take protein beyond packaged nutrition products and into a wider range of everyday consumption occasions. The company has been building a broader healthy-lifestyle proposition under ITC, whose acquisition strategy has focused on expanding its presence in the nutrition-led healthy foods category.

The launch comes as functional beverages gain traction globally, with protein increasingly being incorporated into familiar formats such as coffee and ready-to-drink beverages. By combining Barista’s café network with YogaBar’s nutrition credentials, the partnership aims to build protein coffee as a mainstream beverage category in India.