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Gut health in India is no longer confined to doctors’ chambers or wellness clinics, it is now a daily conversation shaped by tradition, science and evolving consumer choices. From a bowl of homemade curd to clinically formulated probiotic supplements, Indians today are navigating multiple pathways to digestive and overall wellness. As awareness around the gut–immunity–metabolism connection deepens, the question is no longer whether gut health matters, but how it should be addressed. Is India’s gut-health story still anchored in fermented foods passed down generations, or is it moving toward precision-led nutraceutical solutions? The answer? Let’s find out-
In recent years, gut health has emerged from the periphery of digestive wellness to become a mainstream consumer trend in India, driven by rising health awareness, lifestyle shifts and a broader focus on preventive nutrition. Once considered a topic discussed mostly in clinical circles, gut health today is being talked about at breakfast tables, in fitness communities, and across social media feeds, with Indians increasingly seeking ways to keep their digestion, immunity and overall well-being in balance. This cultural shift reflects a larger global movement toward functional foods and personalised wellness, and India’s dynamic food and health ecosystem is quick to respond.
Central to this trend is the rapid expansion of the probiotics market in India. According to recent industry estimates, the probiotics sector has nearly doubled in value over the past five years. Globally, broader projections suggest India’s probiotics industry could expand to multi-billion dollars by the end of the decade, underlining the mainstreaming of gut-health products. This growth is reflected not just in numbers but in the diversity of products and brands entering Indian consumers’ shopping carts. Traditional dairy and functional food brands such as Amul, Mother Dairy, MilkyMist and Heritage Foods are increasingly leveraging probiotic formulations in curd, buttermilk and ready-to-drink products to appeal to health-minded consumers. At the same time, global players like Yakult Danone India, known for its Lactobacillus casei Shirota probiotic drink, continue to reinforce probiotic beverages as a daily habit, adapting flavours to suit Indian palates.
Parallel to these broad food-based offerings is a surge in nutraceutical innovation from both established supplement companies and agile Indian startups. A growing number of brands are launching targeted probiotic supplements, synbiotic formulations, spore-based strains, and new delivery formats that promise higher potency, strain specificity and convenience for modern lifestyles. Indian nutraceutical players such Carbamide Forte, Wellbeing Nutrition, Himalayan Organics, Sami Sabinsa, Alkem, Nutrabay and HealthyHey are expanding their probiotic portfolios, while gut-health-focused startups like The Good Bug, Aayush Wellness and Velbiom are positioning microbiome care as a daily wellness solution rather than a clinical intervention. At the same time, collaborations between fitness and wellness brands and microbiome specialists, such as the probiotic formulation launched under the HRX Metabolically Lean range, signal how gut health is being increasingly linked to metabolic health, immunity and active lifestyles. Together, these developments highlight a shift toward precision-led gut care, where supplements are marketed not just as digestive aids, but as integral components of holistic, performance-oriented wellness routines.
Together, these developments signal a market in transition, one where traditional wisdom rooted in dairy and fermented foods coexists and sometimes competes with modern precision solutions from the nutraceutical world. This evolving landscape not only reflects changing consumption patterns but also poses interesting questions about what “gut health” means for Indian consumers today: Is it rooted in everyday foods that have nourished generations, or is it defined through scientifically formulated supplements tailored to individual needs? Let’s explore further.
Rise of Probiotics in India
India’s probiotics category is moving steadily from a niche wellness segment to a structured, innovation-led market. As awareness around digestive and overall health deepens, probiotics are increasingly being positioned as scientifically validated solutions rather than general wellness add-ons. As Uday Kiran, Manager, Lifescience Advisory, Sathguru Management Consultants, notes, “India’s probiotics market is expanding steadily, driven by rising awareness of gut health, stronger clinician advocacy and increasing demand for scientifically validated solutions.”
Consumer behaviour in the category has also evolved significantly. “The market has been driven by post-pandemic health consciousness and growing label literacy as consumers seek strain efficacy in easy-to-consume formats,” Kiran adds. In response, companies are diversifying product formats to fit different lifestyles and consumption moments. “Industry players are responding with beverages, gummies, chewables, sachets and spore-based drink mixes suitable for varied usage occasions.” This diversification has been critical in expanding the category beyond conventional dairy-based offerings.
Technological advancements have played a central role in enabling this shift. “The adoption of heat-stable strains such as Bacillus coagulans (BC30) has been a key enabler, expanding probiotic applications beyond refrigerated formats,” said Kiran. A clear illustration of this is seen in ambient-stable dairy innovation. “A significant recent development is MilkyMist’s long-life probiotic buttermilk, enabled by AnaBio’s encapsulation technology and SIG’s aseptic filling, demonstrating the potential for ambient-stable probiotic beverages in a market constrained by limited cold-chain infrastructure,” he added.
Looking ahead, Kiran underlines that “global momentum around postbiotics and microbiome-based gut health solutions can influence India’s innovation pipeline, alongside category formalisation, broader mass-market reach through traditional and e-com, and the gradual emergence of personalised gut health platforms.” Together, these shifts point to a probiotics market that is steadily maturing, with innovation, accessibility and scientific rigour shaping its next phase of growth.
From a market sizing perspective, the growth trajectory is equally compelling. According to Nischal C, Head of Corporate Communications, QNET India region, “India’s probiotics category is entering a pivotal growth phase, driven by innovation.” He points out that, “According to TechSci Research, the market in 2024 was valued at $2.14 billion and is expanding at a strong 21 per cent CAGR, driven by post-pandemic health consciousness and a decisive shift toward preventive wellness.” The category’s expansion is being reinforced by new formats that extend beyond traditional dairy. “IndusFood’s recent analysis highlights how new consumption formats have evolved beyond traditional dairy into capsules, softgels, gummies, chewables and plant-based probiotic beverages, making gut health more accessible and lifestyle-aligned.”
At the same time, consumer intent is becoming more deliberate. “We’re also seeing far more intentional consumer behaviour. People are actively choosing sugar-free, dairy-free and condition-specific strains, shaped by digital health education, nutrition experts and trusted wellness voices,” Nischal adds. This, he says, “signals a market that’s maturing with long-term adoption potential.” Looking ahead, “industry research reports project the category to reach $6.72 billion by 2030, with personalised nutrition, stronger scientific validation, deeper rural penetration and improved regulatory clarity shaping the next phase of growth.”
Beyond products and numbers, the broader relevance of gut health is also expanding. As Anil K.C, Founder & CEO, Longeny, observes, “gut health has stopped being a niche wellness topic to being one of the most important conversations in healthcare.” Rising metabolic and lifestyle disorders, digestive challenges among younger populations, and chronic conditions such as acid reflux, IBS and IBD are driving this awareness. “It’s exciting for us to see how the category is growing beyond pills and potions,” he says, with innovation now extending to “synbiotics, postbiotics, gut microbiome testing, and an AI-driven personalisation. These help us connect diagnostics with real-world applicability and improve people’s lives.”
However, rapid growth also calls for responsibility. “We need more awareness, and a certain amount of regulation to ensure unscrupulous brands are kept at bay, and people are not blindly trusting products based on just marketing.” Looking ahead, Anil concludes, “In the near future, gut health will be a key pillar for both – preventive and precise healthcare.” He emphasises that “brands that combine good science, responsible innovation, and real education will be the ones that do well,” with the focus firmly on “helping people to truly improve their health, and not just make them buy things.”
Traditional Wisdom: The Dairy Argument
In India, gut health has long been nurtured not through capsules or powders, but through foods deeply embedded in household routines. Fermented dairy products such as curd, buttermilk and yogurt have historically been trusted for digestion, nourishment and overall well-being. Their familiarity, cultural acceptance and nutritional density have made dairy the most intuitive gut-health format for Indian consumers, long before the term “probiotics” entered mainstream vocabulary.
Highlighting this enduring trust, Ranjith Mukunadan, CEO and Co-Founder, mooMark, notes, “In India, dairy has always been trusted for gut health because it is familiar, nourishing, and part of everyday meals. Fermented products such as curd, buttermilk, and yogurt naturally support digestion while also providing high-quality protein, calcium, and essential nutrients that many Indians depend on daily.”
This generational confidence continues to shape how probiotic dairy is perceived today. As Kishore Indukuri, Founder and CEO, Sid’s Farm, puts it, “Curd is an indispensable part of our daily meals. I am certain that every fellow citizen would agree that our mothers and grandmothers had constantly insisted on the consumption of curd in our meals every day because of its contribution to gut and bone health.” Reinforcing its nutritional relevance, he adds, “Sid’s Farm Probiotic Curd is a great source of protein, calcium, and gut-friendly bacteria, which is essential for our well-being.” Beyond tradition, quality and safety remain critical, with Indukuri noting that “the Probiotic Natural Curd is fermented through advanced and hygienic modes of preparing the product.”
As probiotic dairy scales up, traceability and freshness are emerging as decisive factors in ensuring efficacy and consumer trust. Mukunadan underscores this shift, stating, “For probiotic dairy to truly deliver benefits, traceable freshness and consistency are essential.” He explains how transparency is redefining credibility in the category: “At mooMark, our technology-led procurement system allows consumers and partners to know exactly where their milk comes from. They can see which village, which farmer, and even which cow the milk was sourced from, along with key details such as animal health records, vaccination history, and the temperature at which the milk was stored at every stage.”
Innovation within dairy is also moving decisively toward value-added formats that align with modern nutritional needs. “From an innovation perspective, the focus is moving towards value-added dairy products that combine nutritional relevance with consistency at scale,” says Mukunadan. “Through our fully traceable dairy supply chain, we are developing products such as high-protein yogurt, high-protein buttermilk, and synbiotic dairy with prebiotics like fructooligosaccharides. These products help address India’s protein and nutrition gap while supporting gut health in a format consumers already trust.”
At the same time, advances in processing and packaging are extending dairy’s reach beyond traditional cold-chain constraints. Dr K. Rathnam, Chief Executive Officer, MilkyMist, highlights this evolution: “We are thrilled to offer our probiotic buttermilk, a groundbreaking product that combines health and convenience, reduces energy consumption and food waste thus helping us bring the goodness of probiotics to the people. This game-changing product not only offers consumers a healthy and nutritious option but also ensures long shelf-life without the need for refrigeration.” He adds that the innovation “offers consumers a healthy and nutritious option” while reducing energy consumption and food waste.
Together, these perspectives illustrate how India’s dairy sector is reinterpreting traditional gut-health wisdom through science, traceability and scalable innovation, strengthening its relevance even as newer probiotic formats enter the market.
Modern Precision: The Nutraceutical Argument
While dairy and fermented foods continue to play a cultural role, nutraceutical probiotics are increasingly being positioned as tools for targeted intervention, addressing not just digestion, but the wider gut–brain–immunity axis.
“India’s probiotic market is witnessing explosive growth as consumers recognise the gut–brain–immunity connection,” says Shaheen Majeed, Global CEO and Managing Director, Sami-Sabinsa Group. He points to a clear transition from traditional fermented foods to “clinically validated, strain-specific supplements that deliver guaranteed CFU counts and targeted benefits for stress resilience, metabolic health, immune support and even skin health.” According to Majeed, modern lifestyles demand solutions that offer both convenience and consistency. “ Supplements, particularly, spore-based probiotics like LactoSpore overcome the limitations of traditional foods by ensuring shelf stability without refrigeration, precise dosing and survival through gastric acid,” he adds, underlining why therapeutic efficacy has become central to probiotic choice, alongside offering allergen-free and zero-sugar options for the health-conscious.
Looking ahead, Majeed believes the category is entering a new phase. “The Indian gut health market is transitioning from general wellness to precision nutrition. The future involves greater personalisation with advanced synbiotics and postbiotics, potentially guided by individual gut microbiome analysis,” he says. Driven by urban convenience, he adds, “novel formats like effervescent tablets and gummies are making consumption appealing, emphasising science-backed solutions that complement India’s traditional wisdom.”
This emphasis on standardisation and measurable outcomes is echoed across the nutraceutical ecosystem. Avileli Mouli Srikar, Head of Global Business, Zeus Hygia Lifesciences, notes “Gut health is increasingly recognised as a central driver of overall wellness, influencing digestion, metabolic health, immunity and the gut–brain axis. Nutraceutical supplements play a vital role by delivering clinically studied, standardised bioactives in consistent and effective doses. At Zeus Hygia Lifesciences, ingredients such as Gevalin (Aegle marmelos extract) are designed to support gastrointestinal comfort and digestive balance, with evidence showing improvements in GI symptoms and quality of life. Metaberine, the company’s next-generation berberine formulation, addresses metabolic health while being gentler on the gut, improving tolerability and long-term compliance.”
Srikar also points to shifting consumption behaviour in India. “In India, rising awareness of lifestyle-related disorders and demand for science-backed solutions are reshaping gut health consumption,” he notes. While traditional foods remain important, he adds that “they often suffer from inconsistency, preparation time and taste challenges, particularly for younger consumers.” As a result, “nutraceutical formats offer targeted functionality, enhanced bioavailability and precise dosing, making them an effective complement to traditional diets, especially when convenience, standardisation and measurable outcomes are critical.”
From a clinical nutrition perspective, the case for supplements lies in precision. Gargi Sareen, Head Nutritionist, Sova, highlights that supplement-based probiotics deliver “specific strains at guaranteed dosages, protected to survive the digestive tract.” Beyond gut health, she notes their expanding role in supporting heart health, mood, skin and cognitive function, as well as mitigating the impact of antibiotics. Sareen also points to the limitations of fermented foods such as curd, where CFU counts and bacterial viability are unpredictable, and many microbes are destroyed by stomach acid before reaching the colon, an issue nutraceuticals address through encapsulation technologies.
The category is also moving rapidly towards personalisation. “The era of generic probiotics is fading in India,” Sareen says, as diagnostic tools such as gut microbiome analysis drive demand for customised blends tailored to individual needs. Consumers, she adds, are actively seeking transparency around specific strains, guaranteed CFUs until expiry, and strong scientific validation.
Bridging tradition and science, Amarpreet Singh Anand, Founder & CEO, Good Monk, believes innovation lies in integration rather than replacement. While acknowledging that trust in dairy-based probiotics is deeply rooted in Indian food culture, he points to their limitations in consistency and shelf life. “While curd does offer probiotic benefits, studies show that the bacterial species and their effectiveness are not always consistent in homemade preparations,” Anand notes. Good Monk’s approach, he explains, is to offer stable, clinically proven probiotics that can be “sprinkled into everyday meals,” transforming supplements into preventive, wellness-led nutrition. By combining probiotics, prebiotics and micronutrients that blend seamlessly into familiar foods, brands like Good Monk are redefining how nutraceuticals fit into daily Indian diets.
Tradition vs Supplements- Coexist or Compete?
As India’s gut health ecosystem matures, the debate between traditional fermented foods and modern probiotic supplements appears less like a contest and more like a convergence. Rather than competing for relevance, dairy, fermented foods and nutraceutical probiotics are increasingly being positioned as complementary tools serving different consumer needs, usage contexts and health goals.
Insights from NUFFOODS Spectrum’s recent online consumer survey reinforce this coexistence model. A clear majority of respondents continue to rely on traditional formats such as curd, yogurt and buttermilk for gut health, driven primarily by perceptions of being natural, affordable and culturally familiar. These foods remain embedded in daily eating habits, making them the most accessible and trusted entry point for gut health in Indian households. However, the same data also indicates that gut health awareness is high, with most consumers acknowledging its importance, even if their current solutions remain largely food-led.
This gap between awareness and action presents a critical opportunity for supplements. While traditional foods dominate routine consumption, supplements are increasingly being viewed as situational or therapeutic solutions, used during digestive distress, post-antibiotic recovery, metabolic challenges or lifestyle-related health concerns where precision, dosage control and strain specificity matter. Scientific experts and nutraceutical leaders alike suggest that supplements work best when layered onto a diet already supported by fermented foods, rather than replacing them entirely.
Looking ahead, India’s gut health narrative is likely to be shaped by hybrid models, where fermented foods serve as daily nutritional anchors, while probiotics, synbiotics and postbiotics offer targeted, outcome-driven support. Innovation that respects traditional eating habits while enhancing them with scientific consistency will resonate most strongly with Indian consumers. In this evolving landscape, the winners will not be those that force a binary choice, but those that successfully integrate tradition with precision, making gut health both culturally intuitive and clinically effective.
Mansi Jamsudkar Padvekar