Wipro Consumer Care forays into pet food; to invest ₹150 cr

Wipro Consumer Care and Lighting, part of Wipro Enterprises, is entering India’s fast-growing pet food market with plans to invest upwards of ₹150 crore in setting up a manufacturing facility.

The company will initially launch Snuggles, its pet food brand, with a dry dog food that combines kibble with freeze-dried chicken chunks. The product, which uses human-grade ingredients, is expected to hit the market next week.

India’s pet food market is currently estimated at around ₹5,500 crore and is growing at 10-12% annually. Wipro Consumer Care aims to position Snuggles among the country’s top three pet food brands, President-Foods Business and COO–New Business Anil Chugh said.

Managing Partner–Pet Care Saurabh Shekhar said the pet food category holds tremendous growth potential and remains significantly under-penetrated. The company plans to expand its portfolio into nutrition and wellness products for dogs and subsequently enter the cat food segment, he added.

For the initial launch, Wipro Consumer Care would import dry dog food manufactured by its partners. The products showcased at the launch event were manufactured in Thailand. The company, however, plans to localise production over the next few years.

A separate team has begun evaluating potential locations for the manufacturing facility, with a decision expected within the next 12-18 months, Chugh said, adding the proposed pet food plant would be built at a scale capable of catering to the category’s expected growth and would require an investment of more than ₹150 crore.

Wipro Consumer Care currently operates nine manufacturing facilities across India producing a range of consumer products, including one of its largest plants for the market-leading Santoor soap brand near Hyderabad.