Pet care orders surged 41% year-on-year in 2026, with cat food dominating demand at 60%, along with being the most searched term, according to data gathered by a Swiggy Instamart report on Wednesday. The data was collated from analysis of Instamart orders placed between June 2025 and June 2026 across over 130 Indian cities.
While Tier 1 metro cities like Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru led the market share of pet care demand, Tier II cities saw a 96% year-on-year growth in pet care orders compared to metro cities. Growth is led by Guwahati (+1,473%), Dibrugarh (+796%), Meerut (+677%), Madurai (+591%), and Kottayam (+577%). "Rajkot, Patna, Siliguri, and Tirupati are right behind them as the next wave of fast-growing pet care markets," the report said.
"Kolkata stands out as India's most cat-dominated city, with more than 8 in 10 cat-and-dog food orders going to cats," the report stated.
All top 25 fastest-growing pet-care cities in India grew by over 50% year-on-year.
The report further stated that Bengaluru's pet owners logged the most orders for non-essential pet care products, with 66% of spending focusing on treats, toys, and premium products. Bengaluru is closely followed by Gurgaon, Noida and Hyderabad. Searches for pet treats, ranging from dog biscuits and jerky to dog ice cream also saw a sharp rise. Dog ice cream searches went up 245% while top protein-rich pet treat brands increased 1,097%.
Gurgaon was at the top of the country's pet treat index with 37 orders for pet treats for every 100 food orders. The most dedicated customer for pet care products was found to be in Delhi, having paid Rs 60,957 on them in a single year.
Searches for dog shampoo increased close to 600%, grain-free pet food orders went up 152% year-on-year. Wet food makes up for nearly 45% of all pet food orders. Pet supplements and wellness products increased 42%, with premium nutrition exhibiting no signs of slowdown.
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