Indian consumers push food brands toward health, tech and sustainability

India’s food industry is being reshaped by consumer behaviour that prioritises nutrition, convenience and sustainability, even as households remain cautious about spending amid inflation and economic uncertainty. These findings emerge from PwC India’s ‘Voice of the Consumer 2025: India Perspective’ report, which is part of its global survey of over 21,000 participants across 28 countries, including 1,031 from India.

The study indicates that brands must adapt to consumer expectations of transparency, affordable choices and digitally integrated wellness solutions at a time when supply chains remain volatile and competition is intensifying. While these shifts offer growth opportunities, they also signal disruption to traditional drivers of loyalty such as reputation and word-of-mouth.

“Our survey highlights that consumers are prioritising nutrition, affordability and sustainability, by embracing local produce, digital grocery platforms and wellness technologies,” said Ravi Kapoor, partner and leader for retail and consumer sector, PwC India. “With the openness to GenAI and healthcare apps, we’re entering an era of personalised wellness; creating pathways for brands to harness tech-driven solutions for enhanced growth. With health, technology and sustainability leading the charge, brands now have the momentum to adapt and thrive.”

Food safety emerges as a priority

Among Indian consumers surveyed, 84% highlighted food safety as a critical driver when making choices. This indicates demand for clean labelling, credible certifications and transparent communication of product benefits. Health credentials and verifiable safety claims are becoming essential in a market where consumer trust is often shaped by high-profile food scandals and concerns over adulteration.

While reputation continues to matter, PwC notes that traditional brand equity drivers now rank lower than product-led differentiation. Consumers are increasingly basing choices on perceived nutritional value, ingredient transparency and price.

Economic caution is a defining feature of current consumer behaviour. 63% of respondents said they were concerned about food costs, with many adopting saving behaviours such as switching stores, seeking promotions, or buying in bulk. 44% said they purchase in bulk, while the same proportion reported growing some of their own food.

Convenience is another driver. Over 70% of respondents use supermarkets, 60% frequent local retailers and 55% rely on digital delivery platforms. The appetite for ready-to-eat meals is growing, with 46% buying them, 41% ordering takeout, and 38% eating out at least once a week.

Tax reforms are expected to influence these habits further. With the Goods and Services Tax (GST) on restaurant meals now standardised at 5%—down from earlier tiered rates of 12–18%—dining out is expected to become more accessible to a broader consumer base.

The survey suggests that cultural and traditional preferences continue to play a central role in shaping food choices. 74% of Indian consumers said their eating habits are deeply rooted in cultural heritage and traditions.

This attachment offers opportunities for brands that connect modern convenience with nostalgia. Products such as aam panna or jeera-flavoured drinks, which evoke traditional practices, are positioned to resonate strongly with this consumer base. By appealing to cultural identity while ensuring product innovation, companies can build differentiation in a crowded market.

One of the more pronounced findings relates to the integration of technology into everyday health management. 80% of Indian respondents reported using healthcare apps or wearable technology, higher than many global averages. Their willingness to adopt generative AI also stands out: 60% said they were open to using GenAI to create personalised diet plans, and 56% for meal planning.

Globally, 70% of consumers are engaging with such technologies, but India’s openness reflects a distinct appetite for precision wellness solutions. The report indicates that brands in health, nutrition and wellness must align themselves with this trend by creating digital ecosystems that merge food and technology.

There is also evidence of a shift toward proactive health management. By integrating personalised digital tools with consumer-facing products, brands can enable tailored experiences that support individual health goals. This could drive engagement, build loyalty and open avenues for subscription-based services that extend beyond traditional packaged goods.

Climate concerns influence but do not dictate

Sustainability remains an area of ambivalence. 92% of Indian consumers said they worry about climate change, with nearly half admitting to daily concern. A majority are taking personal action: 62% reported reducing food waste, while 60% said they were cutting down on consumption.

Packaging choices matter too. 49% said they avoided products harmful to the environment, and 49% said they preferred foods with sustainable packaging. India stood out compared to global counterparts, with 73% of Indian consumers (versus 44% globally) willing to pay more for environmentally sustainable food production.

Yet when it comes to purchase decisions, climate and sustainability initiatives often fall behind more immediate considerations such as affordability, health and convenience. PwC notes that more than half of consumers do not actively seek out information on brands’ sustainability credentials, and 11% rarely or never look at such data.

This creates a paradox for brands. On one hand, there is heightened awareness and willingness to pay for sustainability; on the other, it is not consistently driving purchase decisions.

Companies are therefore under pressure to back sustainability claims with tangible evidence while ensuring that premiums are justified. Transparent sourcing, credible certifications and measurable impact may determine whether consumers view such claims as genuine or as opportunistic greenwashing.

Opportunities in a fragmented market

PwC’s report underlines that new value pools are emerging across India’s food ecosystem, shaped by evolving consumer behaviour and shifting purchasing power. For companies, opportunities lie in nutrient-rich innovation, partnerships that cut across sectors such as healthcare and technology, and leveraging cultural traditions to develop functional heritage foods.

Pricing strategy remains a critical balancing act. With consumers highly price-sensitive yet open to paying premiums for health and sustainability, the ability to communicate value effectively will influence competitive positioning. The report points to collaboration with cross-industry players as one way to capture opportunities in the health and nutrition segment.

For retailers and digital platforms, the rise in bulk buying, self-production and demand for ready-to-eat meals presents contrasting signals: consumers want both cost-efficiency and convenience. Navigating this duality requires agility in distribution models and investments in loyalty ecosystems that can hold price-conscious shoppers.

The findings reflect a consumer base that is increasingly fragmented, fluid and pragmatic. Traditional loyalty mechanisms may no longer suffice as health, affordability and technology dominate decision-making. At the same time, cultural resonance and sustainability add layers of complexity.

For marketers, the challenge lies in balancing short-term cost concerns with long-term brand building rooted in wellness and purpose. Communication strategies must adapt, moving beyond broad messaging into targeted, personalised interactions shaped by data and technology.

The willingness to adopt AI tools for diet planning and wellness management suggests that consumers are already engaging with technology in intimate aspects of daily life. This creates a pathway for brands to integrate themselves into routines but also raises expectations of accuracy, trust and ethical use of personal data.

PwC India’s survey captures an inflection point for the country’s food industry. Consumers are signalling clear preferences—nutrition, affordability, cultural connection, convenience and sustainability—but in ways that challenge legacy models of value. Companies that fail to adapt risk losing relevance, while those that align with shifting behaviours could capture growth across multiple value pools.

As Kapoor put it, the market is moving into an “era of personalised wellness.” For the advertising and marketing community, the implications are significant: strategies must be built not only around what consumers buy, but why and how they make those decisions in an increasingly interconnected landscape of health, technology and values.