Sports is one of those fields that tends to be dominated by men, for it calls for significant amounts of strength, endurance, power, stamina and speed — virtues most often associated with males. Indeed, while the FIFA World Cups see global audiences in the billions, the women's version sees mostly empty stadiums. But in this time and era, more and more women are taking bold steps into the world of sports. And Harsh Batra has come up with an energy drink that functions more like an elixir called Happy Ratio — giving women the attributes and nutrients needed to compete in a field currently championed by men! Excerpts from a conversation with Harsh:
What exactly is ‘Happy Ratio’ and how did you come up with the idea?
Happy Ratio is a product which uses unbiased research to create quantified nutrition. It is impractical and inconvenient to obtain 30+ vital nutrients through food or supplements because you will have to eat too much of too many things. Happy Ratio’s Complete Nutrition Blend provides you with all the essential nutrients your body needs in precise proportions. Each serving fills nutritional gaps in varied diets and helps manage one’s overall health, manage weight loss or weight gain programmes and also helps in exercise and sports. The blend contains nutrients with known benefits on varied aspects of health. The idea came to me when I was trying to fulfill my own nutritional deficiencies because I was unable to keep up with the amount of food I needed to consume just to meet the recommended daily nutrition.
What's the idea behind launching the campaign #YehHaiMeriLife?
#YehHaiMeriLife is a powerful campaign about fighting stereotypes. Just because these girls are born into poverty where malnutrition is the norm, it does not mean that they have to accept this reality. The girls of Yuwa are going against what society says they should be. They are fighting against getting married as children, being treated as unequal in their own households and living just to serve men. They are using sports, education and hard work as their ticket to create the life they desire. We hope it inspires every woman out there who doubts herself or feels pulled down by customers and traditions.
What kind of research did you undertake prior to developing the drink?
The product is based on the recommended dietary intakes from the Indian Council of Medical Research. It has gone through multiple iterations as new nutritional research keeps coming out. We work with scientists, nutritionists, pharmacologists and world-class manufacturers to keep on updating the product to keep up with the science. Pricing is available online and we have an online store too.
Why should the nutrition of young girls be made a priority?
Girls are a great indicator of the progress of a country. They are the foundation around which healthy families are built. Looking after the nutrition of young girls ensures that they can grow to focus on the things that matter — education, health and giving back to their communities. They are known to be inherently more responsible and hard-working, so prioritising them gives a many-fold return.
How can a brand like Happy Ratio help counter the fight against improper nutritional intake for young girls?
The beauty of Happy Ratio is that it is created to deliver precise nutrition. Any gaps that exist in young girls’ diets will be filled because they are having a daily dose of 30+ nutrients, which will impact every aspect of their health. Proteins will ensure muscle growth, preventing stunting. Fats will ensure they get energy and can also absorb the fat-soluble vitamins that are essential. Fibre will keep their guts healthy. The vitamins and minerals will ensure that the girls are able to prevent disease and age healthily; 22% of all enzymes require some vitamin or mineral to work properly, so they are very important for metabolism, immunity function, brain functions, mitochondrial function, neurotransmitter production, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory pathways, and to repair enzymes.
There are many health drinks available in the market that claim to offer ‘all necessary nutrients’ to users. What makes your product stand out?
No other product offers ‘Complete Nutrition’ in the format, quantity and dose that Happy Ratio provides. The nearest health drink has a serving size that is 1/3rd, with less than half the calories. The unique blend of nutrition in Happy Ratio provides an even balance of fats, high protein per serve of imported protein and low carbs from low GI sources. It is a very unique blend which offers a person multiple reasons to have it daily, from filling nutritional gaps in their diet to managing their weight, and from their overall health to fueling exercise and sports.
Whey protein, one of the ingredients in your drink, is sometimes criticised by health experts and sports physicians as being unhealthy or unsuitable for consumption by kids.
Whey protein is the most researched and the most complete source of protein in the world. Its amino acid profile is superior to any other protein in the market. We experimented with plant-based proteins. Not only is their amino protein profile inferior and the sources cheaper but they don’t taste good either. At Happy Ratio, we simply follow the science irrespective of what the ‘experts’ claim. The science is very evident on the nutritional value of our product.
Many Indian states offer mid-day meals and other schemes for students at the school level. Can your drink actually substitute this or is it an added option?
Happy Ratio can substitute the mid-day meals very effectively because it provides 400 calories of complete nutrition. For the kids, that would mean that they will feel satiated but also get everything they require to grow healthy and strong.
Why have you associated the drink with ‘providing nutrients for young girls to compete in sports’ alone? What about the children in other fields, like academics?
The importance of nutrition in sports is not talked about as much as it should be. Nutrition is important irrespective of what one does but it is even more important when one competes in sports. Yuwa is a vehicle which uses sports to educate young girls. We saw that as the perfect way to break away from stereotypes to provide a powerful message which resonates with a wider audience.
What are your immediate plans for this year?
Since our product is so unique, we are educating the market on the importance of ‘Complete Nutrition’ instead to create demand. As Indians read more, workout more and get exposed to more knowledge, we expect to be at the forefront of leading this change to create a fitter, healthier, stronger and more confident India.
