Veganism In Vogue

Vikas Garg of abillion is translating personal values into sustainable ventures with economic impact.

- Koh Yuen Lin

“My food pyramid was… a New York slice,” confesses Vikas Garg, recalling his childhood staple of a cheese-laden wedge of pizza. Today, the founder and CEO of abillion – an online ecosystem for the global plant-based movement – is an advocate for a vegan diet and lifestyle.

Born in India to a vegetarian family, he moved to America when he was four. In 2008, he decided to go vegan.

It was around that time that his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer and his dad, heart disease. “How did two seemingly healthy people who neither drink nor smoke get so sick?” he asked. “I started thinking about cholesterol and saturated fat and the role food plays in our health. During that time, scientific research on the effect of our diet on conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and heart health also started surfacing. It was a wake-up call for me.”

Garg also acquired his first pet dog in 2008. “My dog was a huge emotional support for me when my dad’s heart problems hit a climax in 2009, and it is with my pet that I had the most emotionally complex relationship,” shares Garg. “This confluence of factors – the traumatic health issues faced by my parents, and my new awareness of animals as sentient beings – put me on the path of becoming a vegan.”