New breed in India's pet care drives shift beyond product as demand rises

India's pet-care market is shifting from products to services as DINKWAD households prioritise trust, expertise and convenience, fuelling a new, service-led care ecosystem

In the early 2000s, brands such as Heads Up For Tails and Drools helped organise India’s nascent pet-care market. They were followed by digital-first players like SuperTails, which broadened access and affordability. That product-led playbook is now being tested by several new-age brands. Changing household structures, rising incomes and post-pandemic shifts in companionship are steering pet care toward a service-led consumer ecosystem.

 

At the centre of the shift is a new consumer archetype -- the DINKWAD: Double income, no kids, with a dog (or cat). At a recent Market Research Society of India (MRSI) webinar on pet-first households, speakers noted that these consumers design their lives around their pets, prioritising quality, reliability and expertise over discounts. They are time-poor, resource-rich and unwilling to compromise on care.  “Pet parents today do not struggle with where to buy food,” said Shivangini Dwivedi, founder of service-led pet-care brand Ultimutt. “They struggle with who to trust when they need to travel, where to board their dog, or whether a groomer is actually trained.”

 

That trust deficit, she argues, has created one of the largest opportunities in Indian pet retail in recent years. Unlike pet products -- easy to switch and hard to differentiate -- services such as grooming, boarding, daycare and veterinary care naturally drive repeat engagement. “We are moving from pet retail as commerce to pet retail as a care ecosystem,” Dwivedi added.

 

Industry estimates cited by Coimbatore-headquartered Right4Paws show India’s dog population rising from roughly 19 million to 35 million over the past five years, while the cat population has more than doubled to 3.7 million. Pet food alone accounts for more than 80 per cent of the pet-care market and has grown at a compound annual growth rate exceeding 20 per cent over the past decade.

 

But the data captures only part of the story. “India has moved from pet ownership to pet parenting,” said Saurabh Jain, CEO of omni-channel pet-care platform Zigly. After the pandemic, pet parents are increasingly seeking preventive healthcare, diagnostics, grooming and specialised nutrition rather than just products. Trust, medical credibility and accessibility have become decisive factors.

 

Delhi-based Zigly, founded in 2021, operates more than 40 company-owned pet-care centres across 17 cities, positioning itself in a market long dominated by larger incumbents. Its centres integrate veterinary clinics, including hospital-grade facilities, diagnostics, grooming, nutrition and retail under one roof. The company serves over 25,000 customers each month across services and retail, with strong repeat rates driven by what it calls an “ecosystem-led engagement model.”

 

Zigly plans to add about two centres a month over the next year. Revenues are projected to reach ₹60 crore by FY26, with a target to double that within the following 24 months. Cumulative investments are expected to touch ₹200 crore by FY26, largely funded by its parent, Cosmo First.

 

A parallel disruption is unfolding in pet food, particularly in the premium and super-premium segments. Zoomies, a pet-food startup founded in 2025 in Pune, is betting on transparency as its core differentiator. In its first year, the company is targeting ₹10–15 crore in revenue through digital channels and selective retail roll-outs. Founder and CEO Sumedh Battewar said the core problem is not awareness, but honesty. “Too often, leftovers are passed off as food, and claims exceed reality. Our formulations are additive, preservative, starch, grain, and soy-free, with clean labels and third-party lab reports on every product. When ingredients and nutrition is clear, the product speaks for itself more than any celebrity endorsement.”

 

Right4Paws is pursuing a different premium strategy through processing innovation. Positioned in the premium and super-premium segments, Co-founder and Director Sameer Achan said the brand offers minimally processed, complete and balanced dry food designed to preserve the benefits of raw nutrition.

 

Right4Paws, backed by Pet Prakalp India, reports more than 400 per cent year-on-year growth. The company has raised over ₹20 crore, including a ₹14 crore Series A round closed in December. Earlier capital requirements were met through direct infusions from the founding team and early-stage investors.

 

A new manufacturing facility is scheduled to be operational by mid-2026. International expansion into GCC markets is targeted for FY27.

 

Smylo, a cat-first nutrition brand that debuted on Shark Tank India Season 5, is carving out space in a crowded market. Founded in 2024, the startup focuses exclusively on feline nutrition, a category that remains relatively under-served. On the show, Smylo secured an investment of ₹68 lakh along with advisory support from Anupam Mittal, Kunal Bahl and Varun Dua. “Cats are biologically different, yet underserved,” said Co-founder Abhishek Agrawal. Built around fresh-meat formulations and clean-label nutrition, Smylo has served more than 10,000 cat parents to date and is growing at 20 per cent month-on-month through subscriptions and direct-to-consumer channels.

 

Capital raised from Shark Tank India is being deployed into R&D, supply-chain strengthening and consumer education, with future fundraising tied to milestones rather than timelines.

 

M&A way to accelerate growth

 

Larger incumbents are sharpening their focus on mergers and acquisitions to consolidate positions in the fast-growing market. In 2025, Nestlé SA acquired a minority stake in Indian pet-food maker Drools, valuing the company at about $1 billion (nearly ₹9,200 crore).

 

Reliance Retail entered the pet-food segment the same year with the launch of its in-house brand, Waggies, signalling plans for aggressive scaling. Wiggles acquired 100 per cent of grooming brand Captain Zack in 2023 to expand its services portfolio.

 

In 2025, Bengaluru-based SuperTails acquired veterinary services chain Blue 7 Vets, using proceeds from its $15 million (about ₹138 crore) Series B funding round raised in February 2024 led by RPSG Capital Ventures to support the acquisition and its broader omnichannel expansion.

 

Heads Up For Tails is likely to close a $25 million (about ₹230 crore) Series B round led by Nilesh Ved, CEO of the Apparel group, according to a December report. The capital is expected to fund domestic growth and expansion across Asian markets.

 

What’s next

 

Despite the presence of industry majors, executives and investors view the surge of new entrants as validation rather than saturation. Drools’ dominance in pet food, along with Heads Up For Tails’ and SuperTails’ premium retail-led and veterinarian-driven models, is expanding the market and formalising consumption patterns.

 

 “The brands that will lead are the ones closest to the pet parent’s everyday life,” noted Dwivedi of Ultimutt. “The companies that build strong service networks, control the last-mile care experience, and use technology to bring transparency and consistency into pet services are the ones most likely to lead the industry — more than pure e-commerce or pure product brands. The future is hyperlocal, service-led, and trust-driven. Physical stores will gradually evolve into care and experience hubs rather than just shelves of products.”