The Rise of Pet Tech in India 2025: Trends & Opportunities

Here are three reasons why I am writing this article and why you should continue reading this:

1. I am a Designer/Techie, and a gadget freak
2. I hold 25 years of experience and I have built many tech products for India since the explosion of startups in India
3. I am a proud pet parent of two dogs and Founder of Happy Pet

Exploring how technology can transform industries has been a driving passion of mine. Throughout my 25-year journey in design and entrepreneurship, I have conducted deep dives into the startup world since the culture began in India. While industries and fads have come and gone, the current rise in India’s pet care is turning out to be one exciting tornado of an industry.

Out-of-the-box innovations are bettering the lives of pets and their parents day by day. From data and AI, to connected devices and software -- 2025 promises to be the year of Pet Tech.

Let’s start at the beginning: What is Pet Tech?

Simply put, an industry qualifies as Pet Tech if it involves using technology—like AI, data, robotics, connected devices, hardware, and software—to improve pets' health, living standards and well-being.

Pet-tech aims to ensure pets live longer, healthier, and happier lives, while bringing all sorts of conveniences to their parents. 

In 2024, Indian pet parents were spending on unexpected items like pet mental health services and meds, pet gadgets, fashion, and, the best! - wearables to track their pets’ well-being. This trend indicated the rapid evolution of the pet care industry in India, which is poised for even greater growth in 2025.

Having come across and explored some unique sectors inside of the pet-tech space, I have collated some important points that will make 2025 even better than 2024.

1. Pet Health and Well-being

Picture Credits - Vecteezy

From online vet consultations to booking grooming appointments, 2025 will witness a boom in technology acceptance. Congested cities and companies forcing people to work from the office will result in pet parents becoming more tech-dependent.

Evidently, startups are not leaving any stone unturned to build solutions in this space. In fact, they are taking the interactive space one step forward. I came across Tinder-like concepts to connect eligible pet parents with others, along with their pets. I won’t be surprised if the next step will be discos starting dance floors for pets too. While we wait for that, here is a list of pet startups that have caught my eye. 

Noteworthy Startups in Pet Health & Well-being

1. Sploot: Offers doorstep pet services, fresh food delivery, and organizes online and offline events for pet parents.
2. Kuddle: Focuses on holistic pet care through accessible tech solutions.
3. Vetinstant: Simplifies booking vet appointments and offers online consultations.
4. Happy Pet: My very own venture dedicated to making pet parenting stress-free and enjoyable.
5. Omelo: Combines technology with traditional pet care practices for a modern approach.
6. thePack: Provides knowledge resources and tools to enhance the quality of life for pets and their owners.
7. Urban Animal: Offers predictive DNA testing for dogs, enabling proactive care and early detection of genetic ailments
8. Pet Perfect: Offers a comprehensive pet parenting app that provides personalized guidance and resources to enhance the quality of life for pets and their owners.

2. Pet Software and Apps

Picture Credits - Vecteezy

What surprises me is that many Indian pet stores still rely on outdated systems like Excel sheets or WhatsApp for appointment management. While they are more welcoming towards software solutions for inventory management, those for grooming appointments, boarding management, and clinic scheduling are still skeptical of tech, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities. 

In fact, I came across a few pet clinics using Practo (Really!?) to manage their appointments. What was even more shocking was that some pet grooming centers actually used human salon management softwares! This, when there are already pet-centric tools available to streamline such processes. 

While this market remains largely untapped, I came across a few emerging players in this segment.

Emerging Players in Pet Software

1. Pettle: They educate businesses on the importance of tech for streamlining operations.
2. Happy Pet Tech: They create systems to simplify pet business management with tailor-made tools.
3. Vetic: They offer modern clinics with comprehensive services to enhance pet well-being.
4. Zigly: They offer a comprehensive ecosystem that includes veterinary services, grooming, training, and a wide range of pet products.
5. Purr: They offer an advanced GPS and activity tracker designed to keep pets happy, healthy, and safe.

In the near future, these tools are going to be crucial for improving efficiency and customer satisfaction.  

3. Pet Gadgets and Accessories

Thanks to globalization and the frequency with which the Indian population is consuming content over the internet, Indian homes are now open to embracing pet gadgets. While food and water dispensers remain expensive, pet monitor cameras are gaining popularity among busy pet parents. One standout innovation is Fetaca, a GPS-enabled pet ID tracker priced at INR 6,999, which helps locate pets and ensure their safety. Another one is the Fur Tag from Fur Tribe. It’s a smart pet ID with GPS alerts and costs a very affordable INR 499.

While the majority of pet products focus on pet food and accessories, this particular domain in India still remains largely untapped. Ideas like aggregate pet services are making their way into the market and I am eagerly looking forward to seeing the evolution of this sector.

Potential Ideas for Pet Tech in 2025

India has a growing pet population and has, in fact, shipped world-class tech products in the recent past. Here are some innovative ideas that are already out in the global market but could thrive in the Indian market as well:

• Self-cleaning litter trays: It eases the maintenance for cat owners.
• Pet monitoring systems: With work from office becoming the norm, the need for cameras and sensors to keep an eye on pets while away is going to rise.
• Health-tracking collars: Devices that monitor vitals and activity levels, providing insights into a pet’s health will also be the ask soon.

These products, if priced and marketed effectively, could cater to the needs of Indian pet parents while also finding global appeal.

As a proud pet parent and tech enthusiast, I’m thrilled to see the innovations shaping this industry. There are oceans of opportunities to tap into this and take a tech and design-first approach. For pet parents and tech entrepreneurs alike, the future of pet care in India is bright, and what we have now is only the tip of the iceberg.