The pet business in India is steadily picking up and paving an incredible pathway for the future of pet-related services. India is doing exceptionally well in the pet care industry and is, in fact, the fastest-growing pet care market in the world. Valued at Rs 1,700 million in 2017, the industry is expected to grow at 13.9% annually to become an Rs 2,780 million market by 2020. The vast and growing industry is further segmented by pet food, pet behaviour, pet grooming, pet day-care facilities, etc. While the pet healthcare and food industries are growing steadily behind the scenes, pet grooming salons or parlours have become increasingly visible in the country’s metropolitan cities. For the country’s growing number of animal rights activists and household pet lovers, new opportunities have emerged to combine their pleasure — love of pet animals — with blooming business opportunities.
Growth Triggers
The major reason for this growth of the Indian pet industry has been urbanisation, infrastructure changes, awareness that pets can be part of the family, and increase in the feeling of pet humanisation and sensitisation which has helped the rapid growth of the pet industry over the last few years. Pets are not only a companion in India but are also becoming a style statement for pet owners. Nuclear families especially are substituting having a child to adopting a pet instead; similarly, working parents are looking to offer their children companions in the form of ‘furry friends’. People care about how their pet look and thus grooming services are well-accepted by pet owners. Well-groomed attractive pictures of pets are broadcasted on social media, which is also contributing towards the demand and spending for pet grooming services.
With increasing awareness about the good health and wellbeing of pets, the pet healthcare segment is expanding exponentially. In India, since the pet grooming industry is not very well-defined, there is a need for professional trainers who will dedicatedly train upcoming groomers. Not everyone can travel abroad or afford extravagant pet grooming courses. Hence, the foremost way to start a highly renowned pet grooming business with grooming knowledge, consumer goodwill, tried and tested methods, and reliable and safe products is through franchising. Pet grooming startups like The Dog World, Mad About Dogs, BonBeno, The Peppy Paws, Heads Up For Tails and many more are already established in the industry and are offering high growth potential and solid business plans to their franchisees.
Franchise Requirements
The most important factor while considering a pet grooming business is a natural love and attraction towards animals – it is the basis and the only motivating factor to be a part of this industry. But apart from the emotional investment, a franchisee will also require an initial investment of Rs 15-20 lakhs as well as space of 500-700 sq. feet. Of this initial investment, the cost of interiors and fixtures would tally to Rs 10-12 lakhs and another Rs 3-4 lakhs would be allocated to grooming products especially required for different breeds of pets depending on local demand. A pet grooming salon can expect the monthly operational expenditure to be around Rs 1-2 lakhs, allocated to rent, electricity and water, and 2-3 groomers’ salaries. Keeping these expenses in mind, a successful grooming salon can break even in 12-18 months in a high pet population area.
