Lahari Basu, a Kolkata Resident, Bought Insurance for Her Two Golden Retrievers After a ₹1

India's pet economy is shifting from food and grooming to preventive healthcare, diagnostics, and insurance, driven by pet owners treating animals as family. Lahari Basu, a Kolkata resident, bought insurance for her two Golden Retrievers after a ₹1.2-lakh hospital bill for one dog's stomach ailment. She now pays ₹1,650 annually for coverage up to ₹2 lakh, including hospitalization, surgeries, OPD, and vaccinations.

"It's better to be prepared than caught off-guard, she says. Startups are building integrated ecosystems. Supertails, a Bengaluru-based pet-care startup, sees nearly 30% of clinic visits as preventive.

It runs 12 clinics and plans eight more, reporting ₹113.3 crore revenue in FY25. Vetic, a veterinary chain, posted ₹66.6 crore revenue and focuses on preventive care. Gaurav Ajmera, Vetic's CEO, expects wellness subscriptions to grow faster than insurance due to fixed costs and regular access to care. Investors see healthcare as a recurring revenue model.

Indian pet-care startups have raised $340 million since 2019, with funding peaking at $80 million in 2024, but diagnostics attract less than 1% of interest. The pet insurance market is estimated at $293 million, projected to reach $1 billion by 2033. Awareness remains a barrier, says Vineet Khanna of Supertails. Dr. Madhurita Gupta of Goa Angel Network expects India to leapfrog with affordable diagnostics and telemedicine."