The Indian pet care market sees 8% of household income spend; Healthcare accounts for 30% of budget – Brand Wagon News

Pet parents in India spend approximately Rs 50,000 annually on petcare products and services, accounting for five to eight per cent of the household income, revealed Redseer’s report.  Healthcare takes the largest share of this spending, with pet parents dedicating around Rs 14,000 per year, roughly 30% of the total pet care budget, towards services such as vaccinations and consultations. Grooming services have also seen a notable rise in demand, accounting for 25% of service-related expenses. “As pet parents increasingly look for premium, personalised, and health-focused products for their furry family members, we have expanded our offerings to include a wider range of premium, natural, and eco-friendly options. Our commitment to quality and diversity allows us to meet the evolving needs of pet parents while staying true to our mission of enhancing pet care holistically,” Vineet Khanna, co-founder, Supertails, told BrandWagon Online. 

Professional grooming outside the home is becoming increasingly popular as pet parents seek more specialised care. “One of the most pressing needs we see in the industry today is the lack of routine and preventive healthcare for pets. In India, over 70% of pets do not receive regular veterinary care, and only about 10% benefit from essential preventive measures such as vaccinations and deworming,” Khanna added. Meanwhile, about 16% of total spending is allocated to food, with packaged products gaining significant traction as a preferred option. Miscellaneous expenses, including accessories, pet daycare, and walking services, account for roughly Rs 15,000, highlighting the growing emphasis on comprehensive pet care solutions.

The pandemic has played a pivotal role in redefining pet ownership in India. Pre-pandemic, many pet owners maintained a functional approach, primarily relying on home-cooked meals and occasional visits to the vet. However, the post-pandemic era has ushered in a new wave of “pawrents,” especially among millennials and GenZ, who prioritise their pets’ health and well-being as much as their own. This shift has spurred a growing demand for premium products and services, such as grooming spas, packaged food, and routine vet check-ups, creating new avenues for businesses to tap into this expanding market. 

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Additionally, it was revealed that pet parents are not a uniform group, and their buying behaviours vary widely. They can be segmented into four main profiles. Value buyers, primarily from smaller cities, prioritise affordability and tend to rely on homemade meals and basic grooming services. Brand-loyal discount seekers, typically in metros, stick to trusted brands while actively seeking discounts, often purchasing from local stores. Convenience-first buyers, usually young and busy individuals, prefer branded, diet-specific food and frequent grooming services, and they primarily shop online. Experience-oriented shoppers, often high-income families or couples, favour personalised, wellness-focused products and regular vet consultations, blending online discovery with offline shopping experiences.

Packaged pet food is becoming increasingly popular among pet parents, with 65% of them now providing a mix of homemade and packaged food for their pets. Another 19% rely entirely on packaged food. Veterinarian recommendations are a major driver of this trend, as many pet parents report improvements in their pets’ health after switching to packaged options. Furthermore, veterinary care has shifted from a reactive to a preventive approach, with 47% of pet parents visiting vets for vaccinations and 46% for regular health check-ups. Despite this growing demand, challenges such as long waiting times, unskilled staff, and high costs remain persistent. Similarly, in the grooming sector, while 74% of pet parents opt for local groomers, many express dissatisfaction with service quality, citing untrained staff and long waiting times as major concerns. 

Although offline spending still dominates the pet care industry, accounting for 84-85% of purchases through local veterinary clinics, physical pet stores, and individual service providers, digital platforms are slowly gaining ground. “Looking ahead, our aspirations remain ambitious as we work to capture the $5 billion addressable pet care market in India. By 2025, we aim to expand our operations across the country, grow our healthcare services and pharmacy offerings, and strengthen our delivery capabilities, particularly in tier-2 and tier-3 cities,” Khanna commented. Subscription models, in particular, are becoming increasingly popular, offering recurring deliveries of pet food and grooming supplies. Convenience-first buyers are driving this shift towards e-commerce, underscoring the need for businesses to optimise their online presence while maintaining a strong offline footprint. 

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