India’s growing pet economy is increasingly shaping how brands engage with consumers, and National Pet Day has become a timely marketing hook. What was once a niche category is now a rapidly expanding sector, with the Indian pet industry projected to exceed $2.5 billion by 2025. Rising pet ownership, premiumisation, and a shift towards organised retail and e-commerce are driving this growth, with pet food alone accounting for an estimated 65–85% of the market and expected to grow at a CAGR of 20%.
This commercial momentum was visible across brand activity on April 11, as companies used the occasion to tap into the emotional and cultural relevance of pets. Actor Bhumi Pednekkar marked the day on social media, sharing moments with her pets Beau and Bruno, noting that those who have not experienced the love of a pet are missing out on a distinct form of companionship.
Actor Kaarthik Aryan too showed his fur babies, while posing with his sister, as did actors Shraddha Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Kriti Sanon and Priyanka Chopra who lit up Instagram with their photos of their pets. While celebrity participation added visibility, brand actions reflected a more structured attempt to align with evolving consumer behaviour.
At Nestlé, the approach was internally focused. The company shared snapshots of employees with their pets, including sales director Sushrut Nallulwar with his Labrador Nick and legal director Dhwani Rao with Spring. Rao’s note highlighted the emotional bond, “Spring has come health issues and she cannot see well. she may not see, but she smells love and compassion and has taught us how to as well.”
The timing of this activity is notable, coinciding with media reports that Nestlé Purina Petcare is preparing to enter India’s pet food and petcare market, appointing Delhi-based Garg Company as its sole distributor with marketing support from Nestlé. Elsewhere, brands used the occasion to address service gaps. Instamart partnered with Vetic to offer free veterinary teleconsultations, signalling a move beyond transactional engagement towards utility-driven interventions. Between April 8 and April 11, users could access consultations with one of over 250 veterinarians via the Vetic app, with an additional 1,000 consultations made available over the following 30 days.
Gaurav Ajmera, founder, Vetic, framed the collaboration as a response to infrastructure gaps. “Access to quality veterinary care remains a significant challenge across India, especially during emergencies. By partnering with Instamart—a platform trusted by millions—we’re breaking that barrier and making quality vet support available instantly. This collaboration is a step forward in our mission to provide 24/7, human-grade pet healthcare across India, that meets the needs of today’s pet parents,” he said. Mayur Hola, vice president for marketing at Instamart, positioned it within the platform’s broader convenience play. “Instamart has always focused on making everyday convenience more accessible for our users. Pet parents are one of the biggest user groups on Instamart, buying everything from pet food to toys on the platform.
We are delighted to offer this service to the many pet parents in the Instamart community,” he added. Other brands leaned into experiential marketing. Pet care brand Freossi hosted a community event at Zane’s Café, centred on the theme ‘Mental health and pets: The therapy no one talks about enough’. The gathering combined product discovery with conversations around emotional well-being, offering grooming sessions, discount vouchers and interactive experiences designed to reinforce the human-animal bond. Meanwhile, Carniwel took a more unconventional route, partnering with Aliens Tattoo to offer pet-inspired tattoo consultations across studios in Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bangalore.
The initiative tapped into the growing trend of pets as identity markers, where ownership extends beyond care into personal expression. Taken together, these campaigns reflect a broader shift in how brands are approaching the category. The language has evolved from ownership to pet parenting, with increased spending on health, specialised nutrition, grooming and tech-enabled services. This has also expanded the scope of engagement, from product-led messaging to services, communities and experiences.
The pet category is no longer a peripheral segment but a behavioural signal of changing urban lifestyles, emotional priorities and spending patterns. As the market scales, the challenge will be less about visibility on days like National Pet Day and more about building sustained relevance in a category where emotional connection and functional value are increasingly intertwined.
