Wipro Consumer Care forays into pet food segment with Snuggles
Hyderabad, Aug 26 (TNT): Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting on Wednesday announced its foray into the pet food segment with the launch of its new brand ‘Snuggles, marking its entry into a new category after its foray into foods in 2022.
Speaking on the occasion, Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting-India President (Foods Business) and Chief Operating Officer Anil Chugh said Snuggles has been developed with a focus on quality ingredients, nutrition and the growing bond between pet owners and their animals.
He said the Indian pet food market is an emerging category, growing at around 16-18 per cent, with the company expecting the segment to continue expanding over the next five to seven years.
Chugh attributed the growth potential to increasing pet humanisation, urban lifestyles and changing consumer preferences, with pets increasingly being treated as family members.
Around 67 per cent of pet parents in India are first-time pet parents, indicating significant headroom for growth in the category, he said.
Pet ownership and packaged pet food penetration in India remain relatively low compared to other markets, Chugh said, adding that packaged pet food penetration in India is around seven per cent, compared with about 40 per cent each in China and Thailand and around 80 per cent in the US.
India has around 36 million pets, including 30 million dogs and six million cats, while about 10 per cent of households currently own pets, he said. Dogs account for around 70 per cent of the pet food market and cats for the remaining 30 per cent.
The Indian pet food market is currently estimated at around Rs 5,500 crore, while the overall pet care market is valued at around Rs 8,000 crore, he said.
Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting-India Managing Partner Dr Saurabh Shekhar said the company would initially focus on dog nutrition through Snuggles and plans to expand into cat nutrition and other segments over time.
He said the company’s entry into pet nutrition was a natural extension of its experience in consumer understanding, innovation and distribution, coupled with the growing demand for products catering to pets’ nutritional needs.
Shekhar said the company’s ambition was to make Snuggles one of the top three pet food brands in India within the next five years.
Chugh said Hyderabad was an “apt” market for the company’s entry into the pet food segment, citing the city’s demographics, growing population and high disposable incomes.
On research and development, the company said it has a cumulative experience of more than 50 years at its R&D centre in Bengaluru and is also leveraging international expertise from its operations in China and Thailand.
Dr Saurabh, who has around 14 years of experience in the pet nutrition segment, said the company was leveraging its international offices and testing facilities across markets to develop and test formulations for its pet food products.
Highlighting the product innovation, he said Snuggles would offer real human-grade chicken chunks along with kibbles, describing it as a first-of-its-kind offering in the pet food category.
The product has been developed by a team comprising veterinarians and nutrition specialists and was tested with 500 plus pets and their parents across different geographies in India, he said.
The product combines science-backed nutrition, human-grade ingredients and a unique kibble-plus-freeze-dried chicken format, he said.
Chugh said the company was not disclosing investments in the new portfolio at present and that Snuggles was currently being produced through a multinational partner with around three decades of experience in pet nutrition.
Wipro Consumer Care has nine manufacturing locations in India and could consider setting up production at any of these locations as the brand scales up, he said. The decision would depend on the availability of the right manufacturing ecosystem and other factors.
The company currently has a large soap manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, but Snuggles is not being manufactured in the city at present, he said.
Chugh said the Indian pet food market, which had earlier been growing at around 16-18 per cent, is expected to grow at around 10-12 per cent going forward.
Following its debut, Snuggles will expand in a phased manner as Wipro builds a long-term presence in India’s growing pet food market and progressively broadens its portfolio of nutrition and wellness offerings, the company said in a release.
The initial portfolio comprises three life-stage and breed-specific variants — Puppy All Breeds, Adult Small Breed and Adult Medium and Large Breed.
The products will be available through speciality pet retail stores, veterinary clinics, modern trade, e-commerce and quick-commerce platforms, the company said.
The premium range will be available in 1 kg, 3 kg, 5 kg and 10 kg pack sizes, starting at Rs 530, offering what the company described as “best-in-class nutrition” at an affordable price.
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