In recent years, with the continuous development of the Indian economy, people's material living standards have continued to rise, and more and more Indians (especially young Indians) have begun to pay attention to the need for emotional support. For example, many people seek companionship by raising pets. The scale of pet breeding in India has gradually expanded over time, which has further driven pet owners to consume pet supplies, food and services. Personalized and diversified demands are becoming increasingly obvious, and the development of the Indian pet industry has gradually entered the fast lane.
Indians are becoming fascinated by dogs
The emerging Indian pet care industry is growing rapidly
In 2021, when Kyle Dacosta and his wife met a nine-month-old Shih Tzu, "we fell in love with it at first glance." The newlyweds soon adopted another Shih Tzu, who loved the two dogs very much and bought them pet insurance, dog-sized Indian cricket jerseys and other equipment. Later, they rented a larger apartment to give the dogs "a larger space for activity". The Dacostas and millions of other Indian middle classes are the main beneficiaries of the country's strong economic growth in recent years, and are moving along a well-known path of development. They no longer satisfied with new cars, branded sneakers and other Western gadgets, but quickly raised their pets.
According to data company Statista, there were 19.4 million pet dogs in India in 2018, and now it may have reached 31 million. In 2021, another research institute, Market Decipher, estimated that India's pet economy is worth US$890 million, which will nearly triple in the next 10 years.
This trend reflects the rapid growth of the Indian pet industry. It is estimated that the market size of the Indian pet industry has increased by 5 times in 7 years and will reach US$58.6 billion by 2022. As income increases, more and more people keep pets, especially young professionals, who tend to marry late and have a late childbearing and are particularly open to pet dog surrogacy.
It is only a matter of time before the Indian dating website adds the "pet-friendly" option. Like elsewhere, epidemic lockdowns have also increased the demand for animal companionship among Indians.
The old-established enterprises in the pet industry are stepping up their development, and new enterprises are constantly emerging. Nestlé, the world's largest food company, acquired Indian pet food company Purina Petcare last year.
Indian consumer goods giant Emami provides pets with Ayurvedic medicines. Market research firm Euromonitor International believes that the market value of India's pet food industry is US$480 million and will grow to US$1.2 billion by 2025.
The pet service industry is also booming, with traditional and bizarre. Pet grooming and foster care companies are becoming increasingly common. Wiggles is such a company that recently opened a large store in Pune, Maharashtra.
Online Pet Store Supertails provides pet relationship management services and provides advice on pet-friendly policies. "We offer 'breeding leave' to new parents (he refers to pet owners)." Take A Dog 's Story encourages customers to "choose a pet hotel in some of India's most scenic spots." Visiting pets will be worn with marigold wreaths. Its founder Himat Anand said: "To me, pets are the guests, not you."
As the reputation of keeping pets increases, the reputation of pet industry practitioners is also increasing. Chinmai, a 30-year-old dog trainer in the suburbs of Mumbai, said: "Just five years ago, people would be looked down upon in this industry." He remembered his relatives asked him, "How do you find a girlfriend in this industry?" But now, dog trainers in Mumbai earn 2,400 rupees (about 30 US dollars), more than twice the amount of piano teachers. Qinmai is very popular, and now he has tied the knot with one of his clients.
Socrates has a famous saying: I know I am ignorant. It is said that the more you realize you are ignorant. Socrates believes that people have limited understanding of the objective world, and it is impossible to fully understand the objective world, and they should not draw the root of the objective world. God has his own arrangements for the world. If a person insists on exploring the mystery of the world and nature alone, he will eventually blaspheme or even anger the gods. It is precisely because man cannot fully understand the world constructed by God that those who claim to be able to know and transform the world are themselves endorsements of ignorance. Although Socrates' interpretation of the concept of "I know I am ignorant" seems to be inappropriate in terms of objective science. But at least Socrates warned people that human cognition is limited, and existing knowledge may even have errors and omissions. Similarly, on the road of study, we must also return to the mentality of knowing and not knowing in order to go further. Finally, I wish all students a success!