Going gluten-free or vegan or switching to organic, fresh, clean eating and natural foods, trends that are gaining popularity among Indians, are now on the rise with their pets also.
Sugar and milk are not good for dogs, says Darshan Kaur Khalsa, 25, founder of Waggy Zone, a Mumbai-based start-up that launched frozen yogurt-based dessert made with honey for dogs in 2017. The start-up, which has flavours like banana, mango, blueberry and carrot, is finding huge acceptance across metros as consumers are placing orders from Delhi, Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad willing to pay a steep Rs1,200 delivery charge on an order that could cost just Rs500. Khalsa now aims to expand to these cities.
Likewise for Ishmeet Singh, a chef who adopted a stray in 2009 and thereafter ventured into manufacturing his own brand of packaged food—Harley’s Corner. The brand does not use any preservatives and is made with ingredients that have been approved by the food regulator of India as suitable for human consumption.
Widely available commercial packaged foods have huge retailer, distributor and company margins and hence very little value in terms of food that is packaged inside for the pet, says Singh who studied the ingredients labelling on commercial packs and decided to give them a skip and instead make his own wholesome and nutritious food for his pet. The start-up is growing at the rate of 12-15% per annum and is present across Pune, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
In the five years from 2013 to 2017, more than 70 start-ups in the pet foods, accessories and related businesses have come up across India, according to start-up data analytics firm Tracxn Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
With growing affluence and also growing health consciousness, the market is also finding favour among global manufacturers.
In January, Swiss packaged food maker Nestle SA, which has been in the country since 1912, announced its plans to sell pet care products in India, starting with premium packaged food for dogs under a newly incorporated entity called Purina Petcare India Pvt Ltd.
Over the last few years, Canadian companies like Champion Petfoods LP, with brands like Orijen and Acana, and Petcurean Pet Nutrition, with its grain-free brand Now Fresh, have also entered the market.
Pet food, which is an aggregation of dog food, cat food and other pet foods, grew at a breezy pace of 21.2% on an average per annum for the last five years between 2013 and 2018, albeit on a small base, according to Euromonitor.
The size of the pet care market, including food and other pet products, in India stood at Rs1,890 crore in 2018. The market so far has been dominated by Mars Inc, with its Pedigree and Royal Canin brands. However, companies like Russo Mangimi SpA’s N&D brand, which is known for variants like quinoa and grain-free for cats and dogs, already feature among the top five brands in the country.
Globally also, the pet foods market is heating up with some of the world’s biggest food companies looking at this high growth market.
In April, Nestle’s Purina PetCare division acquired a majority stake in Tails.com, a British tailor-made dog food company, from venture capital group Draper Esprit. Tails.com was launched in 2014 and feeds more than 100,000 dogs.
In February, General Mills, the maker of Cheerios cereals, announced its acquisition of pet food maker Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc for about $8 billion in cash. The Blue brand of dog and cat food is known for using natural ingredients, whole meats, fruits and vegetables.
In March, Mars, the candy and pet food maker, announced the launch of a $100 million venture fund that will back pet care products, tech and services exclusively, the company said.
The interest is understandable. Most pet owners treat their pets as their own family members and hence are looking into their nutrition and making choices for them like they would for themselves. The story is reflective of a journey, a transformation from being a pet owner to a pet parent. It’s about the dog’s good life. No puns intended.
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