“We want to be the most pet-parent-centric organisation in the world,” declares Salil Murthy, Managing Director of Mars Petcare India, as he shares findings from a global survey the petcare giant undertook. Among other things, it shows how the nature of pet parenthood has evolved — no longer are pets seen as functional companions kept in the yard. “Today, pets are fully integrated into our lives, treated as family members,” points out Murthy.
“Our study highlighted this transformation, particularly among Gen X and millennial pet parents,” he says. Nearly 47 per cent of global Gen Z dog owners and 43 per cent of cat owners said their pets were the most important part of their lives. In India, this number was a remarkable 66 per cent.”
Exciting findings for the company which, Murthy says, is trying to boost the emotional connection between pets and their parents by developing products like Sheba Melty. “The tube-based treat allows pet parents to hand-feed their cats, creating a beautiful bonding moment,” says Murthy.
Another example of how Mars Petcare India is acting on insights is the launch of its Kitekat brand recently. The survey shows that price, value and health are top priorities of pet parents in India. Kitekat, says Murthy, provides affordable, science-backed nutrition for cats. Available right now on platforms like Amazon and select pet stores, distribution is being expanded.
The survey was conducted across 20 countries, including India, engaging around 20,000 pet parents, and Murthy, who has experience in the consumer packaged goods segment (P&G and General Mills), says it helps the company gather insights into the needs, preferences and aspirations so as to innovate and develop products, services and experiences to meet them.
Sharing how he comes to work at an office where two pets — Maya, a three-legged Indie, and Milo — occupy important space, Murthy says there are over a billion pets globally, and pet ownership is rising everywhere, including in India. Currently, India’s pet food and nutrition market is estimated to be around $800 million. It could potentially reach $1.8 billion in the next seven years at a CAGR of 15-18 per cent. The growth, he says, is driven by rising disposable incomes, nuclearisation of families and shift to packaged pet food.
To meet this growth (as well as tap into exports), Mars Petcare is investing in expanding capacity at its pet food factory in Telangana. “We announced the expansion of our pet food factory in 2021 at an investment of ₹500 crore. However, we intend to double our capacity in the next five years,” he says.
Although the petcare market is growing rapidly, Mars has introduced only a few products from its global portfolio. What’s the product strategy? Murthy says core offerings like Pedigree, Whiskas, Sheba, IAMS, and Cesar, along with affordable options like Chappi for dogs and Kitekat for cats are in India. “We also offer Catsan cat litter, imported from Germany. While India’s pet market is growing rapidly, it’s still maturing, so we focus on building awareness and trust through core offerings,” he says.
But aren’t direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands stealing a march by launching broths and soup? “Innovations like broths and soups are niche categories right now, but we assess market readiness before introducing them,” responds Murthy. Currently, Mars has a 50 per cent marketshare for pet food in India, with variations across segments. For instance, he says, kibble and gravies, particularly for cats, are growing rapidly.
As for distribution, Murthy says currently about 25 per cent of sales comes from digital channels. “There’s an increasing preference for digital channels — not just for purchases but also information and engagement. That said, offline channels remain crucial for us.”
Any unique India innovations?
Seeing the popularity of sachets in this region, Mars offers ₹10 packs of Pedigree. “These are appealing for pet parents trying the product for the first time. Many pet owners are hesitant to spend ₹1,000 on something their dog or cat may not like, so a smaller pack presents a low-risk option.”
At the same time, Murthy says, large packs of 20 kg are popular too, especially among community feeders — a very Indian phenomenon.
India is also where Mars Petcare launched a special product for Persian cats, noticing that the breed was highly popular among Indian pet parents. “Since Persians have long hair, they have unique grooming requirements. To address this, we recently launched a specialised product called Whiskas Persian in a formulation suitable for the Indian market.”
While a number of players are offering pet nutrition products now, there is still a gap in veterinary services. When will Mars Petcare bring its veterinary facilities to India?
To that, Murthy responds, “Most markets naturally go through a process of evolution. For instance, when we first started in the US and the UK, our initial focus was on building a nutrition market before gradually moving into care services. As market maturity improves, we have the global capabilities to adapt and implement new strategies as needed. The key question for us is the timing of these developments.”
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