Passage to India

Spread over three days, the event features buyer-seller meetings, a veterinary conference and a breeders' seminar. It is attended by people working in pet products, accessories and pet healthcare, aquatics supplies, gardening tools and accessories as well as pet owners.
According to Euromonitor International, 600 000 pets are adopted on average every year. The firm predicts that the Indian pet care market will reach $ 133 million by 2015.
The market is growing at a little over 20 per cent annually and has the potential to reach the top league. Industry players estimate that average spending on pets goes beyond $ 200 per month in rich pet-owning Indian households.

Huge potential In urban households, owning a pedigree pet is considered a status symbol. This is good news for the pet industry. Awareness about pets as companions has increased sharply. Rising disposable income in urban households has added to the attitudinal aspirations of potential pet owners and increased the scope for growth in pet-related businesses - pet food, accessories, healthcare, ornamental fish keeping and pet services like grooming, training and many other aspects. This trend manifests itself in an increased number of pet adoptions, a greater awareness of the dietary needs of pets and benefits of pet food, and more people availing themselves of professional grooming services and pet care offerings etc. India is thus the right place for engaging in or even starting a pet business. Indian pet owners have started humanising their pets, in a similar manner to identifying with their relatives, and pet wellbeing is of the utmost importance to families now. There is huge potential and opportunities in the area of pet healthcare, therefore. The second indicator is the aggressive expansion strategy of India's pharmaceutical majors in the field of animal healthcare, which includes companion animals. Alternative forms of medicine like homeopathy and ayurveda have also gained currency. Consequently, India offers vast opportunities for Indian and foreign players to set up shop there.