Kota’s 26-YO Startup Founder Launched ‘GOAT Life’, A Protein-Heavy Oatmeal Ready In Just 30 Seconds - Clocked Rs 60 Lakh In One Month

Imagine this: you wake up at 8:30 AM, barely knowing what dimension you’re currently in.

The next thing you know, your office WhatsApp group is already blowing up. You jump out of bed, go to the bathroom, and get ready for the day.

You grab a measly-looking banana in the name of breakfast and think about the hour-long commute you have in store.

Now functioning on just a banana until lunch is pushing it. So you grab a coffee on the way. Then another in the office. Then another before lunch…

This is the exact problem that GOAT Life wants to solve: missed breakfasts in urban lifestyles. 

“What we are offering is a quick, tasty, and healthy way to fill up on protein and fibre and start your day on the right note. Our products are all about bursting flavours, zero hassle, and versatility. You can have them immediately, or make smoothies and shakes, or even leave them overnight to have them in the morning,” Yash Kalra, founder of GOAT Life, tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive interview.

THE BACKGROUND

Currently 26 years old, Yash Kalra comes from Kota in Rajasthan. He went on to pursue his undergraduate degree in Business Management Studies from Mumbai University.

“Like every second person, I have always wanted to start a restaurant. So while in college, I started working as a waiter first and then a manager in restaurants. This was not out of financial need, but out of the curiosity of the backend operations of food businesses. Then, I also joined some startups that operate in the space of healthy ice creams and snacks,” Yash Kalra tells Startup Pedia.

After finishing college and garnering extensive experience in food startups, one thing became clear to him: starting a restaurant was something that required a hefty investment. 

During COVID-19, Yash came back to Kota and started his weight loss journey. 

“I had always been a fat kid. I am also pre-disposed to diabetes, so when I finally took control of my health, I had a staple meal every single day: ten eggs and an oatmeal to go with. Very soon, I discovered a simple problem. Making eggs every day was a difficult process. You had to choose between scrambled, fried, or boiled. Then, it became monotonous,” young entrepreneur Yash says.

In 2021, barely 22 years old, he started a brand called Wisegg. The concept was simple: make eggs tasty and consumable on a daily basis. Yash and his small team created a drink which was packed with the nutrition of ten eggs.

“We even achieved Rs 2 lakh to Rs 3 lakh of sales. But ultimately, lengthening the shelf life of the product became a problem. The brand wasn’t scalable, and I shut it down in 2021 itself,” Yash shares.

After this, he joined his father’s business in Kota but wasn’t very happy with it.

“I have always been a curious cat. I began looking for my second-best opportunity after trying Wisegg. That was when I identified two main gaps in the Indian market: the first being the missed breakfasts in urban families, and the second being the protein-deficiency and parallel aversion to it by slightly older generations,” Yash Kalra explains.

Around the same time, his mother started practicing yoga, and when he suggested she increase her protein intake, she jokingly said, “arey, mujhe dole shole thodi banaane hain.” [English: I don’t want to become a bodybuilder].

This conversation made Yash even more sure about the gaps he had identified.

“My idea was to build a protein-rich oatmeal food brand that is taste-first, so that children as well as adults can easily consume it, without worrying too much about prep time, flavours, or aftertaste,” he shares.

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JOURNEY AND CHALLENGES

In July 2023, Yash Kalra started GOAT Life with a fund of Rs 5 lakh.

Out of this, Rs 3 lakh came from his savings, and Rs 2 lakh was approved by a startup scheme under the Government of Rajasthan.

“Around Rs 1 lakh was spent on manufacturing the oatmeal in small batches. We took the call to own our manufacturing from day one. The reason? Wanted full control and zero risk of adulteration,” small business founder Yash Kalra says.

The remaining amount was spent in obtaining the raw material and investing in branding and marketing functions.

For the first one and a half years of his startup journey, Yash took a testing-heavy, offline approach:

• The GOAT Life team conducted 100+ offline events, pop-ups, experiential workshops, and on-ground activations.

• From local streets like that of Connaught Place in New Delhi and Church Street in Bengaluru to gyms, fitness clubs, and get-together spots in Kota, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Delhi, these events had potential customers come in and taste GOAT Life’s oatmeal products.

• Around 85% of the people who tested the products liked it immediately and converted into paying customers on the spot.

• Through just offline events, GOAT Life clocked an approximate revenue of Rs 30 lakh by the end of 2024.

Along his startup journey, Yash also navigated a number of challenges.

For instance, thinking big from a city like Kota which didn’t offer him much exposure to begin with was a task. He decided to shift to Delhi and Mumbai to build his team. 

Once the team spent weeks trying to bag an amount from Nikhil Kamath’s startup fund, but didn’t come under the final list.

“We prepared decks, PDFs, pitches, product explanations, you name it. From all over India, 1,600 startups had applied. We made it to the top 16, but were unable to make it to the top 10,” Yash shares.

Then, cracking market positioning and gaining initial momentum was a hard problem.

“Everybody would tell me that my product had a very small market and wouldn’t scale. Fortunately, the offline events that I was conducting were proving me otherwise,” Yash Kalra says.

“With GOAT Life, we were also solving the broken problem of breakfast in India. The fact that it is either missed by most urban individuals or is simply carb-heavy in nature was what we were addressing. Our oatmeal plugged the gaps and offered speed, ease of preparation, and nutrition-dense options with loaded protein and fibre,” the young entrepreneur adds.

In the beginning of 2025, Yash Kalra’s GOAT Life finally came online and was available to be delivered to all serviceable pincodes in India.

The D2C healthy oatmeal brand also raised Rs 1.1 crore in a funding round led by B2C Insider. GOAT Life was valued at Rs 8 crore at the time.

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MARKETING AND BRANDING

When one thinks of oatmeal, rarely do desserts come to mind. GOAT Life flipped this picture by introducing a limited-edition tiramisu-flavored oatmeal (called Taramisu).

Despite being limited-edition, the brand had to bring it back due to a surge in customer demand.

“Things like this keep us interesting and Gen Z-facing. All our marketing campaigns as well are quirky like that,” Yash Kalra tells Startup Pedia.

Recently, when the D2C healthy oatmeal brand went live on Blinkit, the team did an interesting marketing and awareness activity: they went to people travelling in the Delhi metro and made them taste the product, while informing them that it could be ordered instantly from the quick commerce application.

“We have also collaborated with Delhi University students to promote our oatmeal products,” he adds.

Apart from this, taking viewers through the behind-the-scenes of building a taste-first protein-loaded oatmeal brand has worked for Yash Kalra as a young entrepreneur. According to him, it makes things transparent for his audience who feel a sense of belonging as well as a connection with the brand.

“Our entire ethos is built on reliability. From our journey to ingredients, we are all about honesty,” Yash says.

GOAT LIFE: TASTY, HEALTHY, PROTEIN-HEAVY

Currently, GOAT Life’s healthy and convenient oatmeal products come with a protein content of anywhere between 17 grams to 27 grams.

The flavours range from Almond Kulfi, Mango Madness, and Mocha Marvel, to Choco Nut Crunch, Strawberry Swirl, and Choco Hazelnut.

Made with 100% natural ingredients like oats, whey protein, chia and flax seeds, and jaggery, date, or stevia; GOAT Life’s oatmeal products have zero refined sugar, preservatives, or additives like palm oil.

“Each pack is packed with protein and fibre, the perfect start to your day. Each pack is one full meal and accounts for approximately 300 calories. You just need 30 seconds to prep it. We have made India’s first spoon-free oats, good for your heart as well as your gut,” Yash notes.

With an average order value of Rs 1,100, the D2C healthy oatmeal brand has catered to roughly 15,000 customers across India.

“Our Taramisu flavour has been stocking out very fast. But we don’t really have one bestseller we can zero down on. Reason being, we offer a variety of flavours and an option where customers can make their own box with different flavours, one for each day of the week. People love assorted, varied stuff,” Yash Kalra tells Startup Pedia.

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GROWTH

With a team size of 15 people (spread across manufacturing, marketing, operations, and customer support), Yash Kalra’s GOAT Life, in 2025, clocked an approximate monthly revenue of Rs 3 lakh in February and March, Rs 6 lakh in April and May, and Rs 10 lakh in June.

“We jumped straight to Rs 32 lakh in July, when we launched Taramisu. Since August, we’ve been recording Rs 20 lakh every month. November was closed at Rs 60 lakh, all thanks to relaunching Taramisu due to customer demand,” the young entrepreneur says.

The brand plans to scale to Rs 2 crore to Rs 2.5 crore of annual revenue in the next eighteen months to one year.

“GOAT Life is not just about health, we are also trying to leave a society-level impact. For instance, on the manufacturing side, I have tied up with a women-led NGO from where we have absorbed ten to twelve women in our workforce. At the end of the day, what I am building is long-term, rooted in health and impact, and of course, always taste-first,” Yash Kalra signs off.

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