Your watch tracks your steps, your colleague swears by magnesium for sleep, and your neighbour relies on Ashwagandha to manage stress!!
Over the last few years, India has quietly entered a consumer health revolution. What started as a pandemic reflex with immunity boosters and home workouts has now turned into a lifestyle reset. Today, more than 100 Mn Indians track their health with wearables, but paradoxically, India is also the fifth most sleep deprived country in the world. Rising stress, poor diets and sedentary routines are nudging people to take charge of their own health. And what better way to do it than through nutraceuticals?
On an average, Indians consume 2–3 nutraceutical products a week versus 7–8 in the US. This gap is closing fast, with the market projected to grow to $75 bn by 2033. Nutraceuticals will sit at the centre of India’s consumer health revolution making 1.4 Bn people healthier, more data-driven and self-aware.
From search to supplements
For digital natives, the internet is the first port of call for everything. Including their health. With 88% of urban Indians now going online for health information before seeing a doctor, they end up having to decide: Should I go to the doctor, or should I try a targeted supplements I read about first?
For many health concerns today, people are choosing the supplement route. Not just for everyday wellness but also chronic ailments as well. Low energy? It could be Vitamin B. Poor sleep? Magnesium may help. Joint stiffness? Turmeric is the go-to. These conversations have become everyday chatter from social gatherings to lunch tables.
When patients leave clinics with nutraceuticals on their prescription, you know the tide has turned. Pharma channel adoption rising from ~10% to ~35% shows how nutraceuticals have moved from the margins to the very centre of India’s healthcare journey.
Why now: India’s inflection decade
The years 2025–2030 represent India’s biggest health inflection point:
- Rising health-wallet spends: Indians are allocating a larger share of their disposable income to preventive health, premium nutrition and branded wellness solutions
- Self-care as first line of defense: Escalating lifestyle diseases, rising medical inflation and growing health anxieties are pushing consumers to embrace self-care before clinical care, fueling mass demand for supplements and functional foods
- Ayurveda with clinical validation: Time-tested Indian ingredients like ashwagandha and turmeric are no longer “folk remedies.” Global adoption and clinical validation are giving Ayurveda mainstream credibility
- Convergence of modern science and tradition: Beyond the well-established herbs and botanicals, the nutraceutical brands are bringing multi-vitamins, marine products and minerals to the forefront
Together, these shifts mark the inflection decade for Indian nutraceuticals: from a niche, trust-deficit category to a mainstream globally relevant consumer health movement.
Replaying and rewriting the global playbooks
In the 2000s, the U.S. turned vitamins and supplements into everyday staples. China did the same with traditional herbs and teas, reshaping them into global wellness exports. When culture meets science, multi-billion-dollar industries are born
It’s time to write the Indian chapter of this playbook. In the past few years, we’ve seen clear signals:
New formats, new innovations: Indian entrepreneurs are not only re-packaging heritage remedies into capsules, gummies, beverages and serums but also creating entirely new offerings, From novel nutraceutical blends and marine-based actives to advanced delivery systems and clinically validated ingredients.
Clinical science amplifying tradition: Trials validating Tulsi’s role in immunity, Giloy’s impact on inflammation and Brahmi’s cognitive benefits are pushing long used plants into the evidence based mainstream.
Traditional herbs going global: Ashwagandha, now on the shelves of Whole Foods in New York and LA gyms, is just one example of local botanicals crossing into mainstream wellness.
This is no longer just about Ayurveda. It’s about India innovating at the intersection of heritage and modern science - repackaging credibility, inventing new formats and building trusted, validated solutions that are becoming a default part of the wellness lifestyle.
Larger market, many cohorts
The nutraceutical market is expanding so quickly that it’s reshaping entire demographics. Each generation is creating its own distinct opportunity and together, they represent the birth of many scaled brands:
- Label-reading Gen Alpha, who demand added benefits, functional claims and low-sugar formulations
- The life-hacking Gen Z, looking for high efficacy, quick health wins, mood boosters and energy support
- Omni-tracking Millennials, using apps, wearables and AI to follow healthier diets and routines
- The ageing Gen Xers, focused on high trust products and balancing hormonal health to live their best lives
- Boomers, who stay sharply focused on longer healthspans and managing chronic conditions
Each cohort is creating distinct demand curves ensuring the market won’t be defined by a single winner but by dozens of scaled brands.
Making consumer health an everyday habit: Examples from the US
In the U.S., leading consumer health brands have shown how to embed wellness into daily routines by combining habit formation, clinical credibility, and personalization:
Rituals has redefined multivitamins and protein supplements through a subscription model, turning nutrition into a simple, consistent daily ritual.
Supergut’s prebiotic powders, bars, and shakes are backed by peer-reviewed clinical studies showing measurable benefits in glycemic control and weight management.
AG1 offers an NSF Certified for Sport daily supplement that addresses energy, immunity, gut health and aging, making it a one-stop solution for closing nutritional gaps.
Thorne pairs superior nutritional products with at-home testing, providing individualized solutions trusted by professional sports teams and leading institutions like the Mayo Clinic.
Hims & Hers combines online consultations with licensed providers and direct-to-consumer delivery of prescription, OTC and wellness products demonstrating how healthcare access can be democratized through digital platforms.
Adapting global playbooks to the Indian context
At Fireside, we have had a front-row seat to the rise of consumer health brands in India. Four themes have consistently emerged in how the category has taken shape and scaled:
-
“C” Category Focus
Brands that narrowed their focus built credibility faster. The Good Bug (gut health), Gynoveda (fertility), and Traya (hair growth) became anchor points for consumer trust. -
“A” Authentic Evidence
Clinical research, doctor partnerships and transparent communication have moved from “nice-to-have” to “non-negotiable.” The Good Bug and Kapiva invested in trials to back efficacy and build credibility. -
“R” Reach & Relationships
Content and community have been powerful trust builders. Wellbeing Nutrition blends expert advice, ingredient storytelling and celebrity voices, while Gynoveda’s ‘Circle of Sisterhood’ empowers women to share experiences together driving awareness, adoption and relatability. -
“E” Engagement & Experience
Because health outcomes require consistency, coaching and convenience has been critical. Traya’s WhatsApp/ AI coaches guide users for better adherence, while Gynoveda extended beyond D2C into clinics meeting consumers where they are.
Looking for the next generation of disruptors
At Fireside, we believe the time has come for Indian nutraceutical brands to serve the everyday health needs of Indian consumers at scale. The opportunity is to build trusted, science-backed brands that solve real problems from nutrition gaps to lifestyle-driven conditions and in formats that fit seamlessly into daily life.
We are always looking to partner with founders who share this vision and are solving real consumer problems with credible products and long-term ambition. If you are building a new-age nutraceutical brand for India, we’d love to hear your story.
Join the discussion