Pet care startups build subscription moats to compete with FMCG giants

Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Direct-to-consumer (D2C) pet care brands are leaning on subscription models to lock in customers, betting that repeat purchases can help them counter the scale and distribution advantage of India’s largest packaged consumer goods players as the niche segment heats up.

“Nearly 40% of our repeat customers today come through the subscription model, which tells us how effective it has been in driving predictable demand," said Kartikeya Gupta, co-founder of natural cat food brand Smylo, which raised ₹75 lakh on business reality show Shark Tank India on 15 January from Anupam Mittal, Kunal Bahl, and Varun Alagh, giving up 1% equity along with advisory shares, valuing it at about ₹75 crore. At the consumer level, subscriptions combine convenience with predictability by automating regular pet food purchases and reducing the friction of repeat ordering.

Customers can choose flexible delivery frequencies and retain full control over shipments, with the ability to pause, skip, or cancel without long-term lock-ins. For pet owners, especially those managing daily feeding routines, subscriptions help ensure continuity, minimize last-minute purchases, and offer better value through bundled or recurring orders—making them well-suited to staple products that pets consume consistently.

“Subscriptions work best for products that form part of a pet’s staple diet. Cats, for instance, need to be fed consistently, often up to one-and-a-half packets a day, so a bulk pack is bound to get consumed.

Automated replenishment simply makes sense for the consumer," Gupta said. Mint reported on 26 December that India’s pet care market is seeing an influx of consumer goods giants chasing a new generation of indulgent