Regardless of how much you love your fur babies, grooming them can sometimes feel like a task. But since your pet is not just another animal but a part of your family, you want them nurtured in the best way possible. Who doesn't want their pet's hair and nails neatly clipped, fur shampooed, and paws massaged?
Not surprisingly, it's a boom time for pet care and pet-related services. According to a ResearchAndMarkets.com report, India's pet care market is expected to hit Rs 7,500 crore by the end of 2026.
More people are becoming pet parents in India, with the trend being driven partly by the pandemic when people adopted furry companions to beat isolation blues.
An average of 600,000 pets are adopted every year, according to India International Pet Trade Fair (IIPTF).
Other reasons for the rise in pet ownership are double-income households, lifestyle changes, the rise of nuclear families and delayed parenthood. There has been a subsequent and manifold increase in the sale of commercially packaged pet foods, eye and ear care products, oral hygiene products, new apps and trainers, groomers, nutritionists, and pet food deliveries.
"The pet market is still evolving and is huge. Everyone in this industry currently is not competing with each other but are just trying to meet the huge demand," says Nishita Agarwal, Co-Founder of Papa Pawsome. This brand offers natural pet grooming products for pets.
Not just pet care stores, there are now mobile grooming parlours that you can call to give your furry friends some TLC. They are everywhere, from Furry Fairy to Wag-Ville in Bengaluru to Paw Leash in Kolkata and Wiggly Tails in New Delhi.
Papa Pawsome, in association with Pet Precious, another pet care startup offering doorstep services, launched Mumbai's first mobile grooming van for pets in December last year.
"Pet parenting is increasing at 21 per cent year on year in India, so there is immense scope of growth for the entire grooming sector," said Agarwal. This boom has bolstered the growth of several pet care startups.
Ahmedabad-based retail chain Just Dogs, a pet care startup, recently raised $7 million in an unknown funding series to create an online experience for the pet parent. Supertails, a digital platform for pet care and supplies, raised $2.6 million in July 2021 with actor Deepika Padukone as an investor. Heads Up For Tails, an omnichannel pet care company and pioneer in premium pet care since 2008, raised $37 million (Rs 277 crore) Series A funding in 2021.
Some other pet-focused startups in India include Wiggles, Collar Folk and Doggie Dabbas.
(Gurpreet Kaur is a journalist who writes about lifestyle, entertainment and culture)
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