On International Yoga Day, as parks fill up with synchronised stretches and sun salutations, there's one man whose silhouette still looms large over India's yoga economy: Baba Ramdev, the saffron-clad, back-bending televangelist of wellness who made pranayama a household word and downward dog a prime-time slot.
But Ramdev's yoga empire is no longer just about mats and asanas. His FMCG juggernaut Patanjali, co-founded in 2006, is a homegrown challenger to multinational titans like Unilever and Procter & Gamble.
Meanwhile, the yoga economy itself is doing a happy baby pose. According to Horizon Grand View Research, India's yoga market, worth $5,672.7 billion in 2023, is projected to more than double to $12,667 billion by 2030, clocking 12.2% CAGR. Offline yoga courses remain the top revenue pullers, but the real stretch is happening online. Digital platforms, notably free from traffic jams and sweaty studios, are growing the fastest, as per the research.
Globally too, yoga is more than just a wellness trend. Future Market Insights pegs the worldwide market at $119.1 billion in 2024, expected to touch $288 billion by 2034, thanks to everything from aerial yoga to yoga retreats in Bali. Yoga tourism is booming as burnt-out professionals seek both a getaway and a getaway-within.
At home, what's the prime yoga demographic? Professionals aged 30–50 who see it as a route to stress relief, lifestyle balance, and preventive health. Offline courses still reign for those craving real-world corrections and the aroma of incense over internet glitches.
In the middle of it all, Ramdev remains the bearded brand ambassador of not just a company, but a movement — pushing for indigenous products, Indian-made growth, and, in his words, a permanent chapter in the nation's economic history by 2047.
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