Researchers Balmurli Natrajan and Suraj Jacob show that the majority of Indians are meat and fish eaters, not vegetarians as popularly believed. They published their research in the Economic & Political Weekly in 2018.

Balmurli Natrajan has a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Iowa; M.S.  Southern Polytechnic State University, Atlanta, in computer science; M.A. Iowa State University, USA (Anthropology) and B.E.  Marine Engineering Research Institute, Kolkata, India (Marine Engineering).

Suraj Jacob, who teaches at Azim Premji university in Bangalore, is a political economist interested in what makes for "injustice" and "under-development", and their dynamics of change. His formal training is in Economics, but he has broadened it to Politics and Sociology. Suraj was educated in India, England, and the US, and taught for some years in the US. He has also worked with NGOs both in India and the US. He has a PhD (Stanford University, Economics); M Phil (Univeristy of Cambridge, Development Studies); MA (JNU, Economics) and BA Hons. (St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, Economics.)

In their research paper, Natrajan and Jacob use survey data to question the most public claims about food habits in India. It is found that the extent of overall vegetarianism is much less—and the extent of overall beef-eating much more—than suggested by common claims and stereotypes. The generalised characterisations of “India” are deepened by showing the immense variation of food habits across scale, space, group, class, and gender. Additionally, it is argued that the existence of considerable intra-group variation in almost every social group (caste, religious) makes essentialised group identities based on food practices deeply problematic. Finally, in a social climate where claims about food practices rationalise violence, cultural–political pressures shape reported and actual food habits. Indian food habits do not fit into neatly identifiable boxes.

For the full article by Balmurli Natrajan and Suraj Jacob available to subscribers of the Economic & Political Weekly: :https://www.epw.in/journal/2018/9/special-articles/provincialising-vegetarianism.html