For Aakash Mehra, a Delhi-based graphic designer, life now revolves around his three-year-old Persian cat, Sushi.
Whether planning a weekend getaway or creating a grocery list, Sushi’s needs always come first.
From grain-free kibble to plush cooling mats in summer, no detail is overlooked.
“She’s family,” says the 35-year-old. “I read labels more carefully for her than I do for myself.”
Mehra spends nearly ₹10,000 every month on Sushi’s food, grooming, and toys, he tells Invezz.
This kind of spending is no longer unusual in India’s urban centres, where pets are increasingly regarded not as animals but as companions, even children.
The emotional connection between humans and pets has deepened in recent years, leading to a rapid evolution in the country’s pet care landscape.
From veterinary teleconsultations and personalised diets to behavioural training and pet boarding services, the Indian market is undergoing a shift toward what experts call “pet parenting.”
Aspirations, affluence, and emotional need fuel industry growth
“The pet care revolution in India isn’t about animals; rather, it is about aspirational lifestyles, guilt-free luxury, and urban loneliness,” Raj Shah, CEO of Coherent Market Insights tells Invezz.
According to him, the industry is transitioning from neglect and basic sustenance to premiumization and wellness, driven by rising disposable incomes, greater urbanisation, and changing perceptions of what it means to care for an animal.
Revenue in the Indian pet care sector is projected to touch $1.5 to $2 billion by 2027, with a compound annual growth rate of 15–18%.
Younger consumers, particularly millennials, are leading this trend, opting for higher spending on quality nutrition, wellness services, and curated experiences for their pets.
Sample this: Anuj Rajoria, a 32-year-old real estate developer from New Delhi, spends between ₹15,000 and ₹20,000 a month on food alone for his eight-year-old cocker spaniel, Robin.
A single grooming session costs at least ₹2,000, while even a routine veterinary check-up can range from ₹2,000 to ₹5,000, including any recommended tests.
“The industry is booming from a service provider point of view,” Rajoria tells Invezz.
Organised retail and the expansion of e-commerce platforms have also played a role, making pet products and services more accessible across India’s urban and semi-urban regions.
Source: Redseer Strategy Consultants
The pandemic’s lasting influence
The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be a turning point for pet adoption in India.
A Redseer report found a significant uptick in pet ownership during the lockdown years, particularly with families adopting stray animals or rescuing abandoned pets.
As people adjusted to working from home and spent more time indoors, the presence of a dog or cat brought much-needed comfort and companionship.
This emotional reliance translated into economic demand.
In 2019, India’s pet care market stood at $1.6 billion. By 2024, it had more than doubled to $3.6 billion.
Pet owners began investing in a wide range of services—veterinary care, grooming, specialised food, toys, insurance, and even mental health support for their pets.
Behavioural care becomes mainstream
One significant shift has been the expansion of behavioural services.
Mahima, a 33-year-old working professional in New Delhi, shares her 1BHK apartment with Milo, a five-year-old rescued indie dog.
“When I first got Milo, training was all about commands—sit, stay, heel. It was about control,” she tells Invezz.
“But I’ve realised that our pets, like us, have emotions and anxieties that need understanding.”
Today, she works with a canine behaviourist to address Milo’s anxiety and fear triggers.
“It’s no longer about fixing behaviour; it’s about understanding the ‘why’ behind it. This approach has helped both of us feel more connected and supported.”
This move from obedience training to emotional understanding mirrors larger societal shifts toward empathy, mental health, and personalised care—values that younger consumers increasingly expect across services, including those for pets.
Source: Redseer Strategy Consultants
Pet food dominates pet care, but wellness and healthcare drive maturity
Pet food continues to dominate the pet care market in terms of size.
Demand is especially strong for premium, organic, and breed-specific diets.
But wellness-oriented pet owners are also fuelling the rise of another segment: healthcare.
“However, healthcare services—including veterinary clinics, preventive care, and insurance—are likely to see the fastest growth, as more pet owners prioritize wellness and longevity,” Shah says.
“Value-added services, such as pet boarding, daycare, and grooming, are also expanding rapidly, especially in larger cities,” he adds.
SAVAVET, the animal health division of SAVA Healthcare, is among the companies benefiting from this increased focus on pet wellness.
“Beyond just treating illness, pet parents are proactively seeking nutritional supplements, grooming solutions and regular vaccinations. This is a clear indication that the market is maturing, with wellness-based care taking precedence over reactive treatment,” Karthik Rajan, Chief Operating Officer, SAVAVET, tells Invezz.
SAVAVET’s product portfolio spans therapeutic, preventive, and nutritional categories.
The company currently works with over 6,000 veterinarians nationwide and has reported double-digit growth consistently over the past three years.
Rise of homegrown brands and boutique businesses
Shah notes three powerful trends reshaping the industry.
First, the rise of Indian brands like Heads Up For Tails and Supertails is challenging multinational players by offering localised solutions—heat-resistant apparel, grain-free diets tailored to Indian breeds, and monsoon-friendly accessories.
Second is the explosion of micro-entrepreneurship.
“From boutique pet bakeries to mobile grooming services, new business models are being created catering to hyper-local demand,” he says.
For example, Mahima shells out a minimum of Rs 1,500 and a maximum of Rs 3,000 per session with a canine behaviourist.
The third major trend is premiumization.
Consumers are moving beyond basic food and accessories, choosing instead to invest in specialised grooming, preventive healthcare, and high-end nutrition.
This trend has attracted significant venture capital interest.
According to Redseer, companies in the space saw 2x to 10x revenue growth between FY22 and FY23.
Nearly $180 million has been invested in India’s pet care sector over the past five years, reflecting investor confidence in the sector’s scalability and consumer stickiness.
New-age platforms lead innovation
Startups are reshaping the pet healthcare space with tech-driven innovation.
Bengaluru-based Supertails has conducted over 500,000 teleconsultations and opened three offline veterinary clinics in the city.
Plans are underway to expand to 10–12 more clinics in Bengaluru this year, with an eventual foray into other metro markets.
“Healthcare will outpace the rest of the category in growth,” says Vineet Khanna, co-founder of Supertails, a pet care platform in a Fortune report.
He added that rising awareness and demand for quality care are pushing companies to innovate across channels—telemedicine, diagnostics, and in-person care.
Yet, with fewer than 4,500 pet clinics in India today—a number that doubled after the pandemic—there remains significant room for expansion, especially in Tier 2 and 3 cities where veterinary infrastructure is still limited.
Challenges and untapped potential
Despite its strong momentum, the industry faces real challenges.
Shah says supply chain complexity, especially for premium and imported products is a challenge.
“Consumer education remains uneven, with significant gaps in awareness about nutrition. Vaccination and preventive care majorly in tier 2 and 3 cities is also a challenge,” he asserts.
Rajan of SAVAVET agrees.
“While metros are witnessing a growing community of informed pet parents, semi-urban and smaller cities are still in the nascent stages of pet care evolution. This includes limited understanding around timely vaccinations, parasite control, dental hygiene, and breed-specific nutrition,” he says.
Shah believes the next wave of growth will come from three underexplored areas.
First, rural outreach using mobile vet units and vernacular-language apps. Second, pet insurance remains in its infancy.
And third, functional and therapeutic pet foods, personalised nutrition, and technology-enabled services like smart collars and health monitoring apps.
“Together, these three whitespaces could unlock over $500 million in new revenue,” he says.
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