Table-turning on D2C Nutrition Brands as FMCG Heavyweights Make Strategic Entry

India’s nutrition supplement market is growing at a scorching speed. Few years back, supplements and nutrition were mostly consumed by fitness freaks and gym goers. It was largely perceived as a lifestyle product. 

However, in the post pandemic world, as the demand for science-backed preventive healthcare is on a rise, the supplement & nutrition industry is set for momentous growth. Increasingly average Indian households are now embracing a more holistic and health-oriented living, which is unlocking new opportunities for nutrition and wellness brands to thrive. 

Industry analysis has estimated that the overall size of the nutrition market will reach INR 30,000 crores by the end of 2027, which will include three key categories: wellbeing, sports nutrition and weight management. 

The market is largely led by traditional Ayurvedic brands and the nutrition arms of mainstay pharma companies. However, in the past 3-4 years, a third category has emerged in the form of pureplay D2C brands. 

Many such brands, started as bootstrapped entities but later, received generous PE funding, enabling them to expand fast.  Few of the prominent players in the segment include, Oziva, Kapiva. Wellness Nutrition, Cosmix, Fast & Up, Organic India, etc. Other brands like Healthkart, which are primarily market place for supplements and nutrition have their private label entities such as HK Vitals.

Leveraging their digital first approach, they have introduced a wide range of innovative products, formats and formulations, targeting the health-conscious young demographics. Besides general nutrition and plant-based protein supplements, these D2C brands are focusing a lot on functional nutrition, which includes gut health, mental focus, stamina & energy boost, skin & hair nutrition, immunity, sleep assistance, tea infusions, etc. 

 

The D2C Nutrition Market is Growing at a CAGR of 39.72%

The total market size of the D2C nutrition brands in India has reached INR 3,727 crores in 2025, as per the research by The India Watch. The top-5 major brands in the segment include Oziva, Kapiva, Plix, Organic India and HK Vitals. The market has grown significantly from 2021, when it was pegged at INR 915 crores, growing significantly at a CAGR of 39.72%. More than 60% of the market is led by top-5 major brands. 

In the foreseeable future, market will further switch gears and grow faster. In next 12 months, as per the analysis by The India Watch, the aggregate market for D2C nutrition brands in the country will amount to INR 6,112 Crores. This represents 20.3% of the overall nutrition market, which is pegged at INR 30,000 Crores. 

By the end of 2027, the market is slated to reach ~INR 8,700 crores, growing at a CAGR of 52.74%, b/w 2025-27. 

 

Major Brands like Marico, Dabur and HUL Venturing the Space 

As a part of its long-term strategy to build digital bandwidth, major FMCG and personal care companies are now investing heavily in the digital first nutritional brands. Marico has acquired 60% stake in Cosmix, whereas HUL now owns 100% stake in Oziva and Wellness Nutrition. Tata Consumer Product owns Organic India.

Dabur has launched its own digital first nutrition brand called Siens (spelled as Science) to cater to the growing health and wellness requirements of the younger demographics. 

Opening a self-managed digital first brand will help Dabur transform from a traditional Ayurvedic medicine house to a trendy e-commerce player, targeting high growth segments such as nutrition and wellness. 

The legacy brands growing interest in the fast-emerging digital first segment can be mutually beneficial. The legacy brands will closely understand & learn about the digital retail ecosystem, gather deep dive-insights on the health & wellness requirements of India’s digital native young demographics and subsequently build & reposition themselves in the evolving market dynamics. 

No matter how big the legacy is, in a country like India with 46% of population aged below 26, the online space will reshape the future of retail. Heavy weights like HUL and Dabur understand this very well. 

Meanwhile, the backing of big brands will help the D2C players tremendously with faster market expansion and penetration. Partnering with bigger players can be beneficial for D2C enterprises in many ways

• It will drive faster market penetration and development by leveraging the existing distribution network of legacy brands. Having a bigger backing will help a quicker transition towards modern retail, from a pureplay D2C and online marketplace-driven model. 
• Leverage the R&D bandwidth of the legacy brand to foster better research and product innovation. Legacy brands have larger R&D resources at their disposal. Likewise, they have deeper knowledge about India’s regulatory and licensing framework, which naturally makes them better at driving innovation. 
• Big brands have access to tremendous amount of consumer data analytics, which can eventually help the D2C brands understand about unmet market needs alongside creating new demand. 
• Big brands will help in better branding and product differentiation in a market that is increasingly becoming crowded. Although D2C wellness brands are introducing innovative products such as gummies, liquids, powder and melting strips, etc. the risk of commoditization can’t be denied. This is where partnering with a major player can help in long-term product differentiation and brand building. 

 

How The India Watch can Help

The India Watch is a leading market research and intelligence advisory with strong understanding of India’s nutrition and other related segments such as pharma, supplement, wellness, nutraceuticals, segments. 

Investors, entrepreneurs and e-commerce business planning to enter the India’s digital first nutrition sector cam hire us as their market research and insights advisory. Our range of services includes the following but aren’t limited to them

• Curated insights on market sizing, industry key trends, competition, distribution, value chain, sourcing, category wise market intelligence, KPIs, etc. 
• Leverage primary research, secondary analysis and data analytics to gain granular insights on key consumer segments and their preferred behaviour.
• Assist start-ups and entrepreneurs develop consumer segmentation, targeting and positioning roadmap. Offer data-backed practical know-how on marketing, branding and consumer acquisition.
• Prepare feasibility reports with deep insights on market, operational and financial feasibility. 
• Develop detailed GTM (Go-to-Market) strategy for new wellness, nutrition and pharma ventures. 
• Prepare product viability studies for new launches in India’s growing nutrition, supplements, wellness market place.
• Assist entrepreneurs and business owners with business plan, financial plan, business pitch decks, etc. 

 For further enquiry or information, feel free to drop us a mail at info@theindiawatch.com