Wellness Drives Petcare Growth

Q1. Could you start by giving us a brief overview of your professional background, particularly focusing on your expertise in the industry?

I’ve spent 14+ years working in roles across Sales, marketing, e-commerce, and new product development in FMCG organizations like GSK-CH, Paytm, Nestle-Purina, and Philip Morris. I led e-commerce for the petcare category at Paytm, building a close relationship with multiple global & Indian petcare organizations, such as Mars, Nestle, Me-O, Farmina, Drools, and Himalaya, to drive education, online sales, and new product launches. I was also the marketing lead at Nestle-Purina for the India market, leading the business for Supercoat, Friskies, and Pro Plan, including new product development and launches, Vet management, communication creation, and media deployment. I bring in a combined experience of 5 years between these roles.

Q2. How are sustainability, natural ingredients, or clean-label trends influencing product development and marketing strategies?

The petcare category draws trends from the prevalent trends for human foods, especially those that pet parents themselves are following. The Indian market, in particular, has a strong inclination towards “freshness” and “natural ingredients,” which explains the significant bias towards feeding pets home-cooked meals made from raw ingredients. This reflects in the ~4% share…