Kolkata was named India’s Most Vegan-Friendly City of 2025 by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India) in time for World Vegan Month (November). The award was given to Mayor Firhad Hakim, who is also the Hon’ble Minister-In-Charge, West Bengal Department of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, in recognition of the city’s vegan-friendly restaurants, events, and fashion designers.

Most people are unaware of the abundance of vegan options in traditional Bengali cuisine. The vegetarian cuisine of the area is typically vegan (when made without ghee), ranging from aloo posto to aloo chop, cholar dal to tomato khejur chutney, puchka, and more. With mouthwatering stir-fries, inventive salads, tofu specialties from Burma Burma, and contemporary, inventive Asian alternatives from The Flaming Bowl, Kolkata’s dining establishments also don’t let you down.

Plant milk is available at cafes such as Aldo Café, Out and Beyond, Glenburn Café, and Sienna Store and Café. The Daily also offers vegan ice cream and cake. Oven to Plate, a cloud bakery, is 100% vegan, and Vegan Daily, an online merchant located in Kolkata, has everything you need to make maacher jhol compassionately, including vegan (mock) fish. In the meantime, Vegan World is the first vegan food distribution company in Eastern India.

The vibrant vegan fashion scene in Kolkata is a result of the city’s reputation for being animal-friendly. Locally based Eori produces high-quality, sustainable, and reasonably priced plant-based leather, while The House of Ganges offers a range of stylish, animal-free accessories, such as bags, wallets, totes, slings, and more, made of opulent vegan leather. PETA India held an animal-awareness-themed Durga Puja show in Kolkata earlier this year. It featured a variety of vegan delicacies and promoted the switch from horse-drawn carriages to traditional motorized vehicles. Kolkata Vegans, a growing animal-friendly Facebook community, is also located in the city.

Every vegan saves around 200 animals annually from excruciating pain and a horrible demise. Furthermore, a United Nations report determined that a global transition towards vegan eating is required to counteract the worst effects of the climate crisis. Raising animals for food is a major cause of water pollution as well as water and land use.
  
For more details, visit PETAIndia.com 

Priyanka Dutta