The pet care industry in India is growing rapidly. Market intelligence platform Tracxn reports that India’s pet care startup sector secured ₹100.43 crore in funding during 2019-24. Funding peaked in 2021 at ₹47 crore across 13 rounds. In 2024, it stood at ₹14.4 crore. The sector is projected to clock annual revenue of around ₹996 crore.
The country has witnessed rising awareness about animal health and wellness. As demand for pet grooming, nutrition, and healthcare surges, the sector is a fertile ground for entrepreneurship. Aspiring business owners can tap into this market to establish small startups or premium wellness brands.
Governments recognise and plan to support the sector’s growth. In 2023, Karnataka’s Large and Medium Industries Minister, M.B. Patil, said that the State government was committed to supporting initiatives that promote research, education, and dissemination of best practices in the pet industry. He observed that the pet industry is likely to be worth around ₹20,000 crore in India by 2025.
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There are several business categories in the pet care industry, such as pet grooming salons that offer services like grooming, spa treatments, and styling for dogs and cats; veterinary clinics that provide basic OPD services, vaccinations, and diagnostics; pet boarding and daycare centers for overnight stays or hourly care; and pet food manufacturing or retail businesses. Businesses like mobile pet grooming vans and e-commerce platforms for pet products are also emerging.
To explore entrepreneurship opportunities in the industry, The Hindu hosted a live webinar titled, ‘How to build a pet care venture’, on Saturday, May 10, 5:00 p.m. The panellists included Komal Keni, Founder, Pet Ozone Clinic; Dr. Altaf Ahmed, Assistant Director, Ministry of MSME, posted at MSME DFO Chennai; and Praveen Danial, Founder of Groomax, a pet grooming and wellness brand.
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MSME Schemes
Mr. Ahmed spoke about various MSME schemes under which pet care businesses can avail benefits. These include loan schemes, which may be subsidy-linked or collateral-free. He said the first crucial step for an entrepreneur is to do Udyam registration, which marks their business as organised. This registration is free, self-declared, and can be completed through the official website by entering Aadhaar, mobile number, and company details. Upon successful submission, an instant Udyam Registration Number is issued. This certificate, which is valid for a lifetime, is linked with the GST and Income Tax Return portals to auto-update financial details annually.
Mr. Ahmed highlighted other documents required, such as the FSSAI license for pet food manufacturing and sales, trade licenses from local municipal bodies, GST registration if turnover exceeds ₹20 lakh, and shop and establishment registration from the respective state’s labor department.
He said that for clinics, a certificate from the respective animal husbandry department is also required. During registration, it is essential to select the correct NIC code, which categorises the specific pet care activity. For instance, 9609 is the NIC code for pet grooming, 4773 for pet food retail, and 750 for veterinary care.
He then elaborated on several government schemes applicable to the pet care industry. Among them is the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), a credit-linked subsidy scheme. Another scheme is the Mudra Loan Scheme under PMMY. Mr. Ahmed also spoke about the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE). He mentioned several other schemes as well.
Grooming demands
Mr. Danial spoke about how grooming has evolved from just bathing the dog, blow dry or trim its hair to giving them a makeover with different colour patterns. He said he has received requests to turn dogs into Zebra or Giraffe.
He says that birthday parties are also popular. People want cakes, party spaces for dogs to socialise and celebrate birthdays. Another growing area is pet daycare. People drop their dogs off in the morning and pick them up in the evening.
Mr. Danial said there are also plenty of opportunities in pet sitting and pet walking. In gated communities or apartments, one can find 30–35 pets. Pet walking jobs can earn someone ₹30,000 to ₹35,000 per month just from early morning and evening walks.
A vet’s perspective
Ms. Keni said that pets are suffering from ophthalmological, respiratory, cardiac, hepatic, and cancer cases. She said cancer is on the rise in both humans and animals due to environmental carcinogens. Ms. Keni uses integrative treatments like ozone therapy, IV nutrition, acupuncture, and homeopathy for holistic treatment.
Ms. Keni said they also see a lot of dermatological cases, especially fungal infections in the summer. Respiratory issues are common, too. She said that while in rural areas, large animal practice is more common, in cities, it is mostly small animals like dogs and cats.
Published – May 17, 2025 04:35 pm IST
