Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting has joined a growing list of fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies entering India’s pet food market, launching its dedicated dog-food brand Snuggles as established consumer firms increasingly bet on rising pet ownership and the shift toward packaged nutrition. Mint was the first to report last November about the Bengaluru-based company’s plans to enter the category.
Snuggles will initially launch in Hyderabad, where pet penetration exceeds 20%, more than double the national average of 8-10%, according to Anil Chugh, president of the foods business and chief operating officer of new business at Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting.
India’s pet population expanded from 28.4 million to 39.2 million between 2020 and 2025, growing at a 6.6% annual rate, according to Euromonitor. The market is projected to grow another 5.7% annually to 51.8 million pets by 2030. Dogs accounted for the bulk of the population at 33.4 million in 2025, while cats numbered about 4.5 million. The number of dog-owning households also rose from 20.7 million in 2020 to 25.5 million in 2025.
The company estimates the size of India’s pet food market at about ₹5,500 crore, and expects it to grow 10-12% annually over the next five years after expanding 18-20% a year over the past five years.
“Pet food has become a mainstream category. It has a good runway for growth, given the low pet penetration in India and the shift toward packaged food,” Chugh said. Only 7-8% of pet food consumed in India is packaged, compared with 25-30% in Thailand, 40-45% in China and as much as 70% in the US, he added.
Pet food will operate as a separate vertical within Wipro Consumer, backed by a dedicated R&D facility in Bengaluru. The company also plans to enter the cat food market with new formats and innovations as it expands the portfolio.
Premium positioning
The entry comes as large FMCG companies move deeper into a market historically dominated by global players such as Mars and Nestle. Godrej Consumer Products entered the segment in April 2025 with Godrej Ninja, pricing its adult-dog food at ₹239 per kg and puppy food at ₹259 per kg, while targeting a ₹500 crore business within three years.
Reliance Consumer Products followed in November 2025 with its value-focused Waggies brand, starting at ₹199-249 per kg. Both brands undercut Wipro’s Snuggles, which enters the increasingly competitive market at a premium price point of ₹530 per kg.
This is more than double the price of mass-market brands such as Drools, Waggies, and Godrej Ninja, yet below top-tier offerings such as Royal Canin. Available in 1 kg, 3 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg packs, Wipro is marketing the lineup as high-quality nutrition at an accessible price point.
“Right now, our whole attempt is to build a good brand and give a very good product at the right value,” Chugh said. According to Wipro, Snuggles combines kibble with freeze-dried chicken chunks made from human-grade ingredients, does not use artificial preservatives, and includes prebiotics and postbiotics. The company said it spent 18-24 months developing the product, which included trials with more than 500 pets and feedback from over 5,000 consumers.
Chugh emphasized that Wipro isn’t looking to launch just another generic brand, but aims to build a high-quality product line that becomes a meaningful driver of the company’s revenue. “Our attempt is to be in the top 3 brands.” According to Euromonitor’s 2026 India dog-food report, the top three players by retail value share in 2025 were Mars International India (36%), Indian Broiler Group (21%) and Royal Canin India (about 16%).
Urban focus
In terms of strategy, the company is focused on urban markets rather than south India alone, Chugh said. “It’s not south versus north. It is more, I would say, urbanization, and where the young Gen Z population and high disposable income is there,” he added. He noted that about 70% of the market is concentrated in the top 30-35 cities, including Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai.
Wipro plans to focus heavily on specialist channels such as veterinary clinics and pet shops, which account for about 60% of India's pet food sales, Chugh said. He said these outlets play a crucial role in educating pet owners on nutrition, particularly since around 70% of Indian pet parents are first-time owners who rely on vets and specialized stores for guidance.
The company will leverage its existing distribution network, with 30 distribution points in India. “There is no separate veterinary distribution channel as such,” Chugh said, adding that existing Wipro distributors already service veterinary channels. The company will also use a specialised team for specialty channels.
Global sourcing
Wipro will initially outsource manufacturing to global partners and import key ingredients due to a lack of mature domestic suppliers that meet its standards, Chugh said. “We wanted GMO-free corn and human-grade chicken. We are actually using chicken breast, which humans eat,” he said. Wipro plans to set up its own manufacturing facility as the brand scales.
Despite the higher input costs associated with imports, Chugh said the economics can support the brand. “Our margins are good enough to support the brand for the next 5 years, 10 years,” he said.
Imported finished dog and cat food attracts a 20% basic customs duty and 5% integrated goods and services tax (IGST) in India, while duties on pet-food inputs vary by ingredient and harmonized system (HS) classification.