From milk runs to makeovers: India’s subscription shift

A few decades ago, the word ‘subscription’ conjured up images of newspaper vendors tossing rolled-up editions at our doorsteps or families eagerly awaiting the next issue of Champak, Femina, or India Today. Perhaps even a modest gym membership or Club Mahindra’s holiday scheme would be seen as part of this idea. Subscription back then was about access to information or leisure—never quite about replacing ownership.

But today, it is no longer just a mode of purchase—it is a lifestyle philosophy. It has seeped into our daily routines, redefined our relationship with consumption, and subtly altered our definitions of ownership, access, convenience, and experience. We now live in a world where you don’t have to own to enjoy.

Subscription is no longer about commitment to a brand – it is about the brand committing to you.

The rise of the ‘everyday’ subscription

India's subscription e-commerce market is experiencing explosive growth, with a value of $10.34 billion in 2024 projected to skyrocket to $374.24 billion by 2033, at a CAGR of 45.13% At its core, the new face of subscription is driven by punctuality and consistency.

Consider the quiet yet powerful transformation in essential categories. From fresh milk to groceries, vegetables, or even daily medicines—services like bbdaily, Supr Daily, MilkBasket, and 1mg have automated routine consumption. These aren't just e-commerce platforms; they are modern-day butlers that ensure your day begins without disruption.

The genius lies not in the product, but in the promise—same time, same quality, no excuses. For the exhausted homemaker juggling a dozen chores, or the busy professional on work calls through the day, this dependable rhythm is not just convenience—it’s sanity.

Key catalyst in this transformation has been introduction and rapid adoption of UPI AutoPay. This has significantly simplified recurring payments, making it easier for consumers to subscribe to services. UPI AutoPay's share of recurring payments surged from to 53% in January 2025 from 33% in Jan 2024, overtaking card-based recurring payments. The volume of UPI AutoPay transactions tripled from 58 million in January 2024 to 175 million in January 2025.

Experience at your doorstep

Subscription has also unlocked something more nuanced: bringing curated experiences home. From a salon pedicure by Urban Company to a perfectly timed binge session on Netflix, today’s consumer no longer needs to step out for indulgence, entertainment, or grooming. Subscription has a power of transforming a service into a ritual

Imagine a weekend hair spa, monthly deep-cleaning of your home, or a bespoke bouquet delivery every Friday evening—all pre-booked, prepaid, and premium. It’s not indulgence anymore. It’s hygiene, relaxation, and joy—now packaged and predictable. Or even a delivering the ‘freshest’ coffee grounds shipped at personalised intervals so as to savour the coffee in a premium way.

Talking about relatively new phenomenon of at home salon services, India has the second highest number of companies offering this service, at 132, lagging only US (156) depicting acceptance of such subscription services.

However, even for a more established category like OTT, major players like Amazon Prime have seen a 40% increase in memberships over past two years, highlighting consumer appetite for loyalty programs that offer benefits like free shipping and exclusive access. Revenue from digital video subscriptions reached $1.2 billion in 2023 and is projected to more than double to $2.5 billion by 2027. Total number of OTT subscriptions is projected to hit 144 million by 2027, with an average of 2.2 subscriptions per household.

The subscription-based gaming market in India is another high-growth area. It generated $1,009.7 million in revenue in 2024 forecasted to grow at CAGR of 16.3% to reach $2,474.2 million by 2030. And this is just the beginning. A lot is still unexplored! 

Enjoy without owning

Ownership used to be aspirational. Today, it's optional. Why buy when you can subscribe?

Be it a high-end car through services like Revv or Quiklyz, a refrigerator through RentoMojo, or even a DSLR camera for a one-time shoot—the Indian consumer is exploring the joys of use without the burdens of maintenance. This shift is especially pronounced among millennials and Gen Z, who value flexibility over possession, and experience over accumulation.

India car subscription market size reached $176.8 million in 2024 and forecasted to reach $684.6 million by 2033 with a CAGR of 16.23%. Increasing number of online platforms are making it easier for consumers to explore, compare, and subscribe to various car models seamlessly is primarily augmenting the market growth. This segment is expected to proliferate due to increase in middle class growth, urbanisation, increasing financing options and emergence of Gen Z buyers.

This model frees up not just physical space, but mental load – no EMI stress, no resale worries, no service centre queues. Just usage, ease, and upgradeability.

The subscription economy is indeed experiencing a surge in India, driven by a shift in consumer preferences away from ownership towards access and convenience. A Razorpay study indicates a significant portion of Indian adults (57%) would prefer to own less, and a large majority (70%) find subscriptions to be a more convenient option than traditional ownership, freeing them from the burdens associated with owning physical goods. 

The next frontier: Subscription-led experiences

The most compelling frontier of the subscription model lies in the experiences it can unlock tomorrow. As consumers become more comfortable outsourcing routines and personalising indulgences, the possibilities are expanding fast.

Imagine Nykaa offering monthly beauty regimens tailored to your skin type, or Beardo curating grooming kits for men based on their personal care routines—delivered on schedule, without the hassle of reordering.

Think of plant and garden upkeep subscriptions, where experts routinely visit to prune, fertilise, and even redecorate urban balconies with seasonal flair. Imagine a curated, dermatologist-backed skin or haircare package, delivered monthly, customised to climate and skin needs.

These evolving models demonstrate how subscription is moving beyond products—it's becoming a reliable channel for experiential living. It’s turning into a channel for hyper-personalised, future-forward living, enabling curated luxury that fits neatly into everyday life.

For marketers and planners, subscriptions are no longer confined to FMCG or entertainment—they’re a gateway to reshaping how consumers organise their lives. Imagine turning the unpredictability of maids, drivers, plumbers, and handymen into a streamlined, professional service.

Routine chores like food prep, home cleaning, laundry, pest control, or grooming could be offered in modular, bundled, or tiered packages, extending even to appliance and gadget care for TVs, laptops, and home tech. Senior care subscriptions could combine caregiver visits, medicine refills, legal help, and digital support for elderly parents.

Premium lifestyle bundles could offer rotating wardrobes, décor refreshes, or curated gardening. Wellness and beauty subscriptions—personalised nutrition, home physio, or skincare kits—could make indulgence and self-care a regular, effortless habit.

The human side: What we might lose

As with every efficient system, something essential risks getting edged out – human connection.

Subscription is impersonal by design. It is silent, seamless, and clinical. The warm banter with a local presswala, the trusted sabziwala who saved you the best brinjal, or the jovial salon lady who knew your stress points – those small relational rituals are now vanishing.

For the elderly, especially, this shift can be both a blessing and a bittersweet trade-off. While it ensures their needs are met and routines maintained, it can deepen a sense of isolation. The comfort of knowing someone is coming regularly might help memory lapses or health issues, but not loneliness.

And yet, in the rush of our urban lives, perhaps the greatest gift of subscription is not just what it delivers – but what it frees up. It creates moments. For leisure. For connection. For self-care.

A housewife finds an hour to pamper herself weekly. A young executive reclaims her Sunday mornings. An old couple doesn’t worry about the AC breaking down mid-May.

Subscription is not a passing trend. It is a cultural shift—a response to the demands of urban life and evolving consumer expectations. For marketers, the challenge is not just to sell a service monthly – it is to design reliability, ease, and delight into every interaction.

And as we look ahead, the most successful subscription models will not just deliver efficiency. They will build trust, preserve empathy, and reimagine how value is experienced in a world where we own less, but live more.

- Geetika Singh, service line lead-IUU at Ipsos India and Praveen Nair, executive director at Ipsos India