A fitness supplement is meant to provide essential nutrients but is not eaten in large amounts. Amino acids, proteins, and minerals are commonly found in these supplements. The desire and time to cook at home have greatly diminished as a result of a fast-paced lifestyle. As a result, the external diet supplement market in India has increased. According to Google Trends, there has been a huge increase in sugar-free, gluten-free, fat-free, and probiotic food item searches in India. A fitness supplement is meant to provide essential nutrients but is not eaten in large amounts. Amino acids, proteins, and minerals are commonly found in these supplements (1).
The desire and time to cook at home have greatly diminished as a result of a fast-paced lifestyle. As a result, the external diet supplement market in India has increased. According to the report, Indian Protein and Herbal Supplement Market Overview 2018 to 2023, the Indian fitness supplements market is projected to expand at a CAGR of more than 18 percent from 2017 to 2023. According to experts, Indian consumers are becoming more aware of nutrition’s basic needs and proactively incorporate nutritional supplements into their diet. Young Indians appear to be motivated by a desire to improve their wellbeing, avoid obesity, and maintain a healthy body and mind (2).
Dietary supplements have been in high demand for decades around the world, including in India. Young millennials are also more concerned with consuming protein or other dietary supplements in professional sports, muscle building, and proper body toning. Patients with diabetes, chronic kidney disease, anemia, or are underweight purchase different supplements as meal substitutes on their doctor’s or dietitians’ advice. Previously, Indians were heavily involved in fast food and packaged food consumption, which ultimately led to lifestyle diseases. Increased disposable income and GDP, on the other hand, have fueled the emergence of a healthy lifestyle. A better economy translates to a higher standard of living. India’s athletes are also not far behind. Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and others are frequently photographed, showing off their chiseled bodies and healthier lifestyles (3).
While young users are more inclined to work at a table, knowledge of diet supplements and regular exercise has helped them pursue a healthier life. The dietary supplement market in India has resulted in the growth of this. Businesses that bet on the Indian fitness industry, such as health and food supplements, fitness wear, health clubs, and gyms, are in a great position right now. Such industries are expected to reach higher heights in the future, given the expected growth of the Indian fitness industry. In the coming years, the Indian fitness industry is expected to develop. While it is currently valued at 800 million dollars, it is expected to expand rapidly into double figures in the coming years.
What is such an industry all about?
According to statistical research, India’s dietary and nutraceuticals markets are projected to cross sixty thousand crores by 2020. Supplements that contain therapeutically proven bioactive compounds such as polyphenols, resveratrol, and other probiotics are unquestionably beneficial. Despite this, many items sold as “dietary supplements” are intended to cause harm if ingested improperly. Consumers must look at supplement manufacturing specifics to ensure their long-term health protection.
The best manufacturers and marketers are the top players in the Indian Market, which is the world’s largest due to all types of customers’ buying power. They are conscious of quality, protection, effectiveness, and proper application. In recent years, India’s citizens have followed other developing countries’ lead in adopting fast-paced lifestyles. According to current trends, young men between the ages of 20 and 30 go to the gym to work on their abs and tone their bodies. There’s nothing wrong with bodybuilding, but in the name of mass muscle development,’ there’s a high demand for so many dietary supplements that must be thoroughly audited to determine and confirm the quality and protection (4).
Various protein supplements are available, including whey, casein, and soya, and antioxidants and probiotics. All of them will need to be retested in a lab to assess their true effectiveness and long-term health protection when consumed by a bodybuilder. The primary driver of the Indian dietary supplement market is consumers’ growing knowledge of their wellbeing. Changes in eating habits, a lack of physical activity, and a rise in sedentary lifestyles have all contributed to a rise in the prevalence of lifestyle disorders such as diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular complications, and so on. Furthermore, increased awareness has increased customer awareness of their dietary needs. Since consumers cannot meet their nutritional needs from their daily diets, they increasingly realize the value of nutritional supplements to complete in the gaps (5).
In India, the nutraceuticals market is divided into functional foods, beverages, and dietary supplements. Functional beverages include sports drinks, fortified juices, and glucose, while functional foods include products like breakfast cereals and fortified flour. Dietary supplements, which account for more than 65 percent of the Indian nutraceuticals industry, include macronutrients, herbal and non-herbal extracts, and other ingredients. This segment attracts a lot of competition and is home to Amway, Himalaya, Dabur, and Emami. This segment is rising at a rate of 17 percent, and as a result, it will drive market growth.
Rise of a complex market
The fact that 15% of India’s population is underweight, among other factors, is driving demand for nutraceuticals, and the government has taken several steps to address this through initiatives such as the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), the National Health Mission (NHM), and the mid-day meal scheme. According to a World Bank report on ‘Nutrition in India,’ India loses nearly 12 billion dollars in GDP due to malnutrition. Interventions to minimize the loss, on the other hand, would cost just around 524 million dollars a year, resulting in a benefit-to-cost ratio of approximately 23 times. The healthcare costs have heightened this emphasis on preventive treatment: out-of-pocket expenses account for 62 percent of healthcare costs in India, and 60 percent of medical prescriptions written by Indian doctors contain supplements (6).
Furthermore, India’s wealth has increased, and by 2030, its middle and high-income households will account for nearly 4 trillion dollars of the country’s total consumption. Since nutraceuticals enable pharmaceutical companies to make their goods more consumer-oriented and food manufacturers to build brands with a medical image, such convergence of medicine, food, and innovation is expected to boost India’s food manufacturing and retail sectors, which are expected to rise too much more than Approximately 958 billion dollars by 2025 and 1.7 trillion dollars by 2030. Furthermore, the nutraceuticals market has been substantially opened up to attract foreign direct investment: under the automatic path, 100 percent FDI is authorized in the manufacturing sector, and such companies are permitted to sell their goods by wholesale, retail, or e-commerce.
Since nutraceuticals enable pharmaceutical companies to make their goods more consumer-oriented and food manufacturers to build brands with a medical image, such convergence of medicine, food, and innovation is expected to boost India’s food manufacturing and retail sectors, which are expected to rise too much more than Approximately 958 billion dollars by 2025 and 1.7 trillion by 2030. Furthermore, the nutraceuticals market has been substantially opened up to attract foreign direct investment: under the automatic path, 100 percent FDI is authorized in the manufacturing sector, and such companies are permitted to sell their goods by wholesale, retail, or e-commerce.
India is a formidable competitor in the global nutraceuticals market due to its unique advantages of rich heritage and expertise, availability of raw materials, development in herbal extract manufacturing, and a significant presence as a trusted partner in many foreign markets (7).
Indian Market for supplements
In the fiscal year 2020, the Indian dietary supplement market was worth 3924.44 million dollars. It is expected to amount up to a CAGR of 17.28 percent until the fiscal year 2026, reaching 10,198 million dollars. Growing consumer awareness about preventive healthcare, rising purchasing power, and rising cases of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, blood pressure, diabetes, malnutrition, and others are expected to drive market growth. Furthermore, aggressive marketing and advertising campaigns for promoting dietary supplements are projected to impact market development positively.
Preventive healthcare is becoming more common among consumers. India has one of the highest diabetes rates in the world, with over 80 million diabetics expected to live in the region by 2030. Consumers are becoming more mindful of the dangers of heavy chemical use and opting for dietary supplements. The dietary supplement market in the country will benefit from this change. Because vitamin, mineral dietary supplements contain a range of micronutrients, water-soluble & fat-soluble vitamins that help the bodywork smoothly and enhance mental health as we age, combination dietary supplements held the lion’s share of the Market in 2020.
Pharmacies and drug stores, which the government licenses to sell medications and dietary supplements recommended by physicians or health practitioners, led the Market with a 64 percent share in the fiscal year 2020. Abbott India Limited, Herbalife International India, Amway India Enterprises, Dabur India, Danone Nutricia, Himalaya Drug Company, GlaxoSmithKline Consumer Healthcare, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Kraft Heinz India, and Patanjali Ayurved Limited, among many others, dominate the Indian dietary supplement industry. Companies in the industry invest in research and development and introduce new products to maintain their market share (8).
In the forecasted period 2022 to 2023, the Indian dietary supplement market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth revenue of more than 15 percent. “Changes in eating habits, less manual labor, and more desk jobs have made Indians more susceptible to lifestyle diseases. The average urban and semi-urban Indian is becoming more health and fitness conscious. The Dietary Supplement Market in India has huge growth potential due to this” A dietary supplement is designed to include nutrients that would otherwise be insufficiently consumed. Vitamins, minerals, fiber, and amino acids, among other substances, are examples of supplements.
Different markets in India
More good players in India include Dabur, known for Chawanprash, Glucose-D, Real, and Active Juices, and has a market cap of fifty thousand Crores approximately. Himalaya reached a total revenue of Rs 2,000 crore in 2014, 2015, with its core product HiOwna-Jr for kids, a 743 crore ethical nutraceutical market. Patanjali is a well-known corporation with revenues of Rs 5,000 crores in 2016. There is a large range of products such as aloe vera juice, amla juice, and much more under food supplements. At the same time, Baidyanath, Apollo, Herbalife, and Forever are seeing record sales.
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