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Prashant Patwardhan, Founder & CEO
Pawfect Petfoods Pvt Ltd
2 May 2025
As India's pet industry races toward billion-dollar dreams, uncomfortable truths simmer beneath the surface. Without science, regulation, and responsibility, are we building a future for pets—or a ticking credibility crisis?
BUILDING INDIA’S PET INDUSTRY THE RIGHT WAY:
Science, Standards, and Responsibility First
India’s pet industry is booming, but behind the glossy projections and investor excitement lies a deeper reality. Without science, regulation, and a shared sense of responsibility across the ecosystem, we are not building a future for pets; we are manufacturing a façade. Global lessons are clear, but whether India will heed them remains to be seen.
The $Multi-Billion Dream but Built on What?
Everyone is chasing the multi-billion-dollar pet care dream. Some say the first billion $ will arrive by 2027, some by 2028. Either way, in business plans, boardrooms, and branding decks, the mood is breathless. Pet ownership is rising. Disposable incomes are swelling. India, they say, will be the next great: What are we building? Market. But while the race for profit is in full swing, few are asking the more uncomfortable question.
Today, anyone with a co-packer, a Canva subscription, and a basic Shopify store can call themselves a "pet nutrition brand." "Veterinary formulated" has been reduced to a tagline you can buy after a weekend course. Product launches outpace feeding trials. Marketing budgets dwarf research investments.
The result? An industry awash in buzzwords, drowning in shallow claims, and hurtling toward a credibility crisis.
Because here’s the part we seem to forget: The world’s most respected pet industries didn’t get there by racing to market. They got there by racing to the truth.
Around the World: Growth, But with Guardrails
Japan: Where Pet Food Grew Slowly and Rightfully So
In Japan, pets are family not in sentiment alone, but in legislation, nutrition, and public consciousness. The pet food market matured because companies invested first in understanding pets' health and aging needs, not just in promoting “premium” food. When Japan introduced the Pet Food Safety Act in 2009, it wasn’t reactive; it was proactive. Companies were already aligning with strict standards because consumers demanded transparency as fiercely as they demanded quality.
It took decades, not discount codes, to build trust.
South Korea: Innovation Anchored in Research
In South Korea, one of Asia’s fastest-growing pet markets, pet parents are among the most informed in the world. Brands didn't win on slogans alone; they backed every claim with university partnerships, clinical studies, and laboratory data. Breed-specific formulations, digestibility studies, and stringent advertising laws made empty slogans almost impossible to get away with.
Today, Korean pet parents don’t just ask, "Is this food grain-free?" They ask, "Can you show me the data that grain-free is beneficial for my breed?" That’s the conversation we need at Indian pet shops today.
China: A Cautionary Tale (and a Comeback Story)
China's pet industry is a reminder of what happens when profit chases ahead of principle. In the early 2000s, the Chinese pet food market exploded, cheap, fast, and poorly regulated. Then came the inevitable: the 2007 melamine crisis. The pets died. Trust evaporated both in the domestic and the international markets.
It took China over a decade to claw its way back, introducing food safety laws, insisting on traceability systems, and funneling billions into food tech and pet nutrition R&D. Today, Chinese brands export globally but only after paying the heavy price of rebuilding from ruins.
India, if it continues unchecked, risks needing a similar painful correction, and history may not be so forgiving the second time around.
Matured Markets: Science First, Sales Later
In the biggest pet care markets, companies didn’t achieve success by branding first and formulating later. Third-party feeding trials, compliance with AAFCO and FEDIAF standards, and scientific substantiation became basic table stakes long before “holistic” and “natural” became marketing buzzwords. Even today, one misleading health claim can lead to lawsuits and brand collapse faster than any marketing campaign can save it.
India at a Crossroads: Which Road Will We Choose?
Today, India’s pet industry feels eerily similar to China in 2006, booming in numbers, crumbling in depth.
• Hundreds of brands, few verifiable nutritional profiles.
• Marketing slogans louder than laboratory reports.
• Influencers with more sway than veterinarians.
The roadmap already exists, drawn across Japan, Korea, China, Brazil, and other fast-growing markets in recent years.
The question is no longer what we should do. It’s whether we have the will to do it.
The Ecosystem of Responsibility
If India’s pet food market collapses under the weight of mistrust and it could; the blame won’t lie with producers alone. Everyone is complicit.
Producers: Time to Introspect
Pet food producers are the starting point of quality, or the lack of it. A blunt question needs to be posed to all of them: Do your products truly match the claims you slap on the bag?
As Dr. Blair Aldridge wrote in one of her articles: “Formulating pet food isn’t like making dinner; it’s a deeply scientific process that requires years of specialized training and obsessive attention to detail”. It’s all too easy to boast of “high protein, real meat, complete nutrition” in advertisements but what’s inside the bag often tells a different story.
That small-print Guaranteed Analysis listing protein, fat, and fiber percentages has anyone independently verified it, or is it just ink on paper?
In most mature markets, regulators can demand proof for every nutritional claim on a label. In India, by contrast, those glossy claims often go unchecked, making it even more crucial for manufacturers to police themselves.
Producers, ask yourselves: Are you selling a genuine healthy diet or just marketing hype?
India offers producers plenty of leeway perhaps too much. With no mandatory nutitional standards or testing regime in force, you essentially set the rules. This should be a call to conscience, not an invitation to cut corners. It’s time for producers to introspect and self-regulate before external regulations inevitably catch up. Pet food, like baby food, is life-critical. Substandard products can lead to malnutrition, illness, or worse for a voiceless family member.
The onus is on us to tighten our processes, source honestly, test religiously, and ensure that every claim on our label is the truth. Because if we fail, the damage won’t be measured in returns and refunds it will be measured in suffering, vet bills, and broken hearts. No market opportunity or cost saving is worth that.
Producers must decide now: Are you building something real or just building hype?
Traders: Beyond Margin Machines
Margins cannot be the only conversation. Retailers must ask:
• "Where is the third-party nutrient analysis?"
• "Is this product appropriate for Indian pets?"
• "Are these health claims independently validated?"
In Europe and Brazil, retailers act as filters for quality not just sellers. Indian traders must evolve similarly or risk undermining the entire ecosystem.
Pet Parents: Buyers, But Also Guardians
Pet parents cannot continue to be passive consumers manipulated by packaging, social media trends, sending the maids and drivers for purchases, or simply picking the first brand that pops up on their Zepto or Blinkit app.
They are ultimately the voices of their voiceless companions. If you’re a pet owner in India, you are not powerless. You have a critical role in fixing this broken system: demand better and refuse to settle.
Every time you purchase a bag of food; you endorse the practices behind it. It’s time to scrutinize those choices. Does the brand provide transparent information? Does it cite meeting any global standards or undergoing feeding trials? Have other pet owners reported problems? Thanks to social media and online communities, it’s easier than ever to find out which products have recurrent red flags.
Do your homework! Your pet’s life depends on it.
Most importantly, don’t treat pet food as an afterthought. It’s not just another expense where one should aim for the cheapest deal. That bargain kibble could cost you far more in vet bills and heartbreak.
As Indians, we are embracing the idea that pets are family. We must also accept that feeding them right is a non-negotiable part of that responsibility. Demand quality, seek knowledge, and be willing to spend a little extra for a trustworthy product.
"Quality pet food isn’t a luxury, it’s a lifeline. Our pets can’t choose, so we must choose wisely for them."
When pet parents en masse start insisting on better products, the industry and authorities will have no choice but to listen. Remember, every improvement in pet food history from better ingredients to clearer labels has come from consumer demand or outrage.
Use your voice and your wallet. Don’t settle for silence if your gut says something is wrong. Pets can’t speak, pet parents must speak up.
Veterinarians: The Silent Witnesses
Vets should be the conscience of the industry. Instead, too many are becoming bystanders or worse, endorsers for sale. In South Korea and Japan, veterinarians actively guide pet nutrition innovation, publishing research, challenging claims, and educating owners.
Indian veterinarians must urgently reclaim their leadership role.
Investors and Influencers: Building or Burning?
Today, the capital is chasing India's pet boom. But how many investors are funding clinical trials or vetting scientific teams? How many influencers verify claims before promoting them? If we allow branding to outweigh biology, we will build a market that looks successful until it spectacularly fails.
Regulation: Still Missing in Action
India remains one of the only major pet care markets without a strong, enforceable regulatory authority. The BIS guidelines exist but in reality, enforcement is rare, compliance is optional, and claims go unchecked. Self-regulation is a fantasy.
India should not need a public health scandal to understand this.
Global Snapshot: How India Compares to other Country | Market Size (2024 est)** | Key Regulatory Body | Consumer Behaviour | R&D and Nutrition Focus | Current Challenges |
Japan | ~$4.5 Billion | Pet Food Safety Act | Highly educated, Pet Humanization | Heavy R&D for aging Pets | Shrinking pet Population |
South Korea | ~$1.5 Billion | Animal and Plant Quarantine Agency (APQA) | Premiumization, breed-specific diets | Clinical trials, Veterinary Partnerships | Over- commercialization |
China | ~$22.5 Billion | Food Safety Law (2015) | Demand for premium, traceable foods | Post-scandal Science revival | Ongoing trust rebuilding |
United States | ~$ 65 Billion | AAFCO (guidelines), FDA oversight | Highly sceptical, demand data | Feeding trials, evidence based products | evidence-Trend Saturation |
Brazil | ~$6.5 Billion | Ministry of Agriculture (MAPA) | Health-aware but price-sensitive | Improving standards Gradually | Balancing cost Vs Quality |
India | ~$ 0.6 Billion ( Growing fast) | Bureau of Indian Standards (Voluntary) | Emerging, trend-driven | Very limited research investment-driven | No strong enforcement. Low consumer education |
Change Starts Here.
1. Mandate Independent Nutritional Testing
Every product must be verified by accredited third-party labs. Supplier COAs are
not enough.
2. Create and Enforce Strong Pet Food Regulations
Mandatory ingredient transparency, labeling standards, and advertising controls
must become non-negotiable.
3. Elevate Pet Nutrition Education Across the Ecosystem
From producers and traders to veterinarians and pet parents, real scientific education must replace superficial certifications.
4. Shift from Influencer Hype to Scientific Credibility
Health claims should be evidence-backed, not Instagram-approved.
5. Invest in Research, Not Just Reach
Funding must prioritize real R&D, clinical trials, and nutritional innovation, and not just short-term marketing.
Without action now, India's pet care industry risks becoming a cautionary tale, not a global success story.
Conclusion: The Future We Feed
India’s pet food industry stands at a crossroads: One path leads to world-class standards and earned trust; the other, to continuing risks and eventual scandal. For far too long, each stakeholder has passed the buck. It is 2025 and the stakes are too high for complacency. Change won’t happen overnight. But it will never happen at all if we don’t start now.
To producers, traders, officials, and pet parents: This is a collective call to arms. The booming pet market means nothing if it’s built on a foundation of mistrust and harm. Let’s transform that growth into an opportunity an opportunity to set gold standards in quality and ethics. The next time you see a bag of pet food, remember: It is not just a commercial product, it is a pet’s primary source of nutrition, health, and happiness.
Treat it with the gravity it deserves.
India prides itself on progress and compassion. We’ve outlawed cruelty to animals; now we must outlaw negligence in what we feed them. No more looking the other way.
No more excuses.
Whether you make pet food, sell it, regulate it, or buy it: do your part, and do it with urgency and integrity. Our pets give us their unconditional love and loyalty. It’s high time we gave them food worthy of that devotion.
